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COLLECTION     OF 

NORTH    CAROLIXIANA 


ENDOWED      B  Y 

JOHN     SPRUNT     HILL 
of  the  class  of  1889 


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HUNT    DID   THE   WEIGHING    AND    PAYING-OFF    HIMSELF. 


Pine  Ridge  Plantation 


OR 


THE    TRIALS  AND    SUCCESSES    OF    A 
YOUNG  COTTON    PLANTER 


BY 

WILLIAM  DRYSDALE 

Author  of  "  Helps  for  Ambitious  Boys,"  "  Helps  for 
Ambitious  Girls,"  etc. 


NEW   YORK 

THOMAS   Y.  CROWELL   &   CO. 

PUBLISHERS 


Copyright,  igoi, 

By  Thomas  Y.  Crowell  &  Company. 


CONTENTS. 


CHAPTER  PAGE 

I.  Hunt  Kobertson,  the  Farm  Drudge    .....  1 

II.  Colonel  Andrews,  of  North  Carolina  ...  14 

III.  Hunt  Becomes  a  North  Carolinian     ....  25 

IV.  A  Modest  Home  in  the  Sunny  South     ...  39 
V.     The  Cargo  op  the  Maria  Louise 52 

VI.  The  ''Patch"  Gradually  Becomes  a  Plan- 

V                  TATION 64 

VII.  The  Family  in  the  Brice  Creek  Home     .   .  81 

VIII.     " Cone-Plantin'  Time" 100 

IX.    General  Miles  Eats  a  Welshman 109 

;jv              X.    First  Cotton  Plants 121 

^             XI.  An  Encounter  With  Drunken  Negroes    .   .  129 

*"            XII.     A  Great  Kise  in  Cotton 139 

■^         XIII.    Scotty  Watson  in  New  Bern 149 

^           XIV.    A  Cotton  Contract 158 

XV.    A  Bear  in  the  Corn 166 

XVI.    The  Plantation  Grows 172 

XVII.     In  the  Old  Ferry  House     180 


VI  CONTENTS. 

CHAPTER  PAGE 

XVIII.    Fishing  Through  the  Ice 189 

XIX.  Trials  of  a  "Gentleman  Sportsman"    .   .  196 

XX.    A  Mule  and  a  Blizzard 204 

XXI.    New  Bern  Under  the  Snow 216 

XXII.    Fifty  Bales  of  Cotton 224 

XXIII.  A  Voyage  to  Beaufort     236 

XXIV.  Stocking  a  Pig  Park 246 

XXV.    Hunt  Visits  Georgia 255 

XXVI.    Delights  of  Home 267 

XXVII.    Mr.  Warren's  Plantation 279 

XXVIII.    ScoTTY  Makes  a  Start 290 

XXIX.    New  Acquaintances 301 

XXX.    A  Familiar  Face 311 


ILLUSTRATIONS. 


PAGE 

Hunt  Did  the  Weighing  and  Paying-off  Himself. 

(Page  141) Frontispiece. 

Thirty  Dollars  was  Cheap  for  ''the  Entire  Out- 
fit"           68 

Some  of  Hunt's  '^ Colored  Neighbors" 77 

With  Mary  on  the  Pony  in  the  Lead  and  the  Ox- 
Cart  Bringing  up  the  Kear 91 

A  Youthful  Cotton-Picker 140 

While    One     Plowed    With    the    Ox    the    Other 

Plowed  with  the  Mule 224 

**IDone  Gwine  Show  yo'  de  Kest,  Boss"     ....    250 
Hunt    Could    not    Convince    Himself    that    there 
Would  be  much  more  than  Three-quarters  of 
A  Crop 295 


PINE  RIDGE  PLANTATION. 


CHAPTER  I. 

HUNT  ROBERTSON,  THE  FARM  DRUDGE. 

"  Hunt,  Hunt,  come  here,  sir  !" 

Huntley  Robertson,  the  owner  of  the  name,  sprang 
instantly  out  of  his  hard  and  narrow  cot-bed,  and  in 
so  doing  struck  his  head  a  ringing  whack  against  one 
of  the  rafters  of  the  low  loft  in  which  he  slept. 

"  Yes,  sir,  at  once,  sir  !"  he  answered,  as  he  groped 
about  in  the  gloom  for  some  of  his  clothes. 

"Don't  you  know  it's  after  four?"  came  in  the 
same  voice. 

There  was  nothing  alarming  in  the  words;  but 
Hunt  recognized  the  imperative  tone  of  farmer  War- 
ren, who  was  in  part  his  guardian  and  in  whole  his 
master ;  and  he  was  startled  at  seeing  the  first  gleams 
of  daylight  steahng  through  the  narrow  window  of 
the  loft,  and  he  had  been  cautioned  to  be  astir  before 
half-past  four. 

"  It's  well  I  have  so  few  clothes,  and  such  old 
ones,"  he  said  to  himself,  as  he  quickly  dressed,  "  for 
they  don't  take  much  time." 


2  PINE  RWGE  PLANTATION. 

"  Come,  young  man,  this  sort  of  thing  won't  do, 
you  know  !"  farmer  Warren  exclaimed,  menacingly, 
to  him  a  few  moments  later,  in  the  back  yard.  The 
farmer  held  a  riding-whip  in  his  hand  and  snapped  it 
as  he  spoke,  but  the  boy  did  not  flinch,  for  he  had  no 
reason  to  fear. 

The  boy  who  stood  manfully  up  before  his  master, 
without  the  least  suspicion  of  bravado  or  imperti- 
nence in  his  manner,  was  the  Hunt  of  the  few  old 
clothes  and  the  bumped  head. 

"  Sorry  if  I'm  late,  sir,''  he  said ;  ^'  but  I  kept 
watch  on  the  window  for  daylight,  and  you  know  I 
have  no  clock,  sir." 

Farmer  Warren  gave  the  whip  a  vicious  snap,  but 
there  was  nothing  vicious  in  his  look  as  he  fixed  his 
eyes  upon  the  boy.  Being  a  man  of  labor  himself, 
he  looked  rather  admiringly  at  the  strong,  well-knit 
frame  of  his  farm  drudge,  grown  now  to  nearly  five 
feet  six  inches  in  height,  with  the  muscles  of  his  upper 
and  lower  limbs  well  developed  by  several  years  of 
almost  unceasing  labor  upon  his  farm.  The  thick  coat- 
ing of  tan  upon  Hunt's  hands  and  face  showed  that  he 
had  taken  his  full  share  of  sun  and  wind,  as  a  farmer's 
boy  should.  There  was  a  frank,  honest,  manly  look 
in  his  face,  which  corresponded  well  with  his  brown 
eyes  and  wavy  brown  hair. 

"  Oh,  you  Avant  a  clock,  do  you  ?  "  Farmer  War- 
ren laughed,  with  another  wicked  snap  of  the  whip. 
"  A  clock,  upon  my  w^ord  !  AVhy  not  a  coil  o'  steam 
pipes  to  keep  you  warm  ?     Or  suppose  we  say  an  ele- 


HUNT  ROBERTSON,   THE  FARM  DRUDGE.       3 

vator  to  carry  you  up  to  your  set  of  apartments^  with- 
out the  trouble  of  climbing  the  stairs  ?  How  would 
that  do,  Mister  Hunt  ?  or  a  nice  velvet  carpet  on  the 
floor,  or  a  soft  arm-chair  to  rest  in  ?  " 

The  farmer  emphasized  each  of  these  suggestions 
with  a  snap  of  the  whip. 

"A  clock,  eh?  We're  getting  pretty  high  and 
mighty  in  our  notions,  lately.  I'm  afraid  you're 
growing  discontented.  Hunt,  and  there's  nothing  equal 
to  one  of  these  things  to  take  discontent  out  of  a  boy ; " 
and  again  he  snapped  the  whip. 

"  No,  sir ;  I'm  not  discontented,"  Hunt  answered 
respectfully ;  "  only  if  I  had  a  clock  I  could  always 
be  up  in  time,  sir.  If  I  just  earned  a  little  spending- 
money  now  and  then,  hke  other  fellows,  I  should  buy 
one  for  myself,  sir." 

"  Like  other  fellows ! "  the  farmer  quickly  re- 
peated, making  circles  in  the  air  with  the  whip. 
"  Like  Scotty  Watson,  I  guess  you  mean.  He's  the 
boy  that's  been  filling  your  head  with  bad  notions, 
and  the  less  you  have  to  do  with  him  the  better  you'll 
be  off.  Don't  you  know  that  he  has  to  work  like  a 
slave  for  his  little  spending-money,  in  that  factory  or 
furnace  or  whatever  he  works  in  ?  " 

"  That's  just  what  he  tells  me,  sir,"  Hunt  replied ; 
"  but  he  don't  mind  the  work  any  more  than  I  mind 
work  on  the  farm,  sir ;  but  I'd  like  a  chance  to  strike 
out  for  myself,  sir,  some  day,  so  as  to  see  something 
ahead." 

"Another   of   Scotty's   notions,"   the   farmer   de- 


PINE  RIDGE  PLANTATION. 


clared ;  "  and  I  know  what  you're  hinting  at,  when 
you  speak  of  having  a  little  spending-money.  You 
need  not  be  alarmed,  young  man,  for  your  money  is 
all  safe  in  my  desk — the  one  hundred  and  fifty  dollars 
your  father  left  you,  and  the  twenty-five  dollars  you 
have  added  to  it  by  your  own  labor/' 

"  I  suppose  you  know,"  he  continued,  "  that  your 
father  was  the  poorest  man  in  Ontario  County,  except 
two  or  three  who  had  nothing  but  debts.  But  he  left 
you  what  little  he  had,  and  I  have  it  safe  for  you,  and 
you  may  have  a  receipt  for  it  whenever  you  want  it, 
so  you  needn't  hint  about  it." 

"  No,  sir ;  indeed  I  was  not  hinting  about  money," 
Hunt  protested.  "  I  know  that  much  more  than  that 
would  be  quite  safe  in  your  hands,  sir.  And  you 
have  always  been  very  kind  to  me,  Mr.  Warren,  and 
I  am  not  discontented.  Indeed  I  am  not,  sir;  only  I 
want  a  chance  to  do  something  for  myself,  so  that  I 
shall  not  be  the  poorest  man  in  Ontario  County,  like 
my  poor  father." 

"  Look  at  this  farm,  young  man ! "  Mr.  Warren 
commanded,  sweeping  his  whip  around  in  a  great 
circle. 

"  There  is  no  better  farm  in  Ontario  County,  sir," 
Hunt  admitted. 

"  You're  right,  boy  !  "  Mr.  Warren  continued  ; 
"  there's  no  better  between  Geneva  and  Canandaigua, 
or  anywhere  about  here.  It  is  just  about  what  a  farm 
should  be.  Look  at  those  barns,  boy,  and  that  twenty- 
acre  pasture  lot ;  and  the  grain  fields,  and  the  orch- 


HUNT  ROBERTSON,    THE  FARM  DRUDGE.       5 

ards.  Fences  all  up,  boy,  and  no  discount  on  the 
live  stock  in  the  barns,  eh?^' 

It  was  a  common  saying  among  the  neighbors  that 
David  Warren  was  a  just  man,  but  as  changeable  in 
his  moods  as  a  weather  vane  in  the  winds ;  and  Hunt 
saw  his  moods  change  rapidly  that  morning. 

"  Now,  see  here.  Hunt ;  look  at  me  ! "  the  farmer 
resumed. 

a  ^e're  agreed  that  this  is  a  good  farm,  eh  ?  Well, 
what  makes  it  a  good  farm  ?  Nature  made  the  soil 
good  in  the  beginning,  but  it's  my  money  and  my 
labor  that  have  made  it  what  it  is  this  minute.  Now, 
whenever  you  begin  to  feel  discontented,  I  want  you 
to  remember  that  you  get  as  much  out  of  this  farm  as 
I  do.     Don't  you  forget  that,  my  boy." 

"  As  much  as  you  do,  sir ! "  Hunt  exclaimed  in 
surprise. 

"  Yes,  sir ;  just  as  much  as  I  do  ! "  the  farmer 
resumed.  "  I  get  my  board  and  clothes  out  of  it,  and 
so  do  you ;  so  we're  even  on  that.  You  get  plenty  to 
eat,  don't  you  ?    And  good  enough  clothes  to  wear  ?  " 

"  Yes,  sir ;  but  you  are  the  master  of  the  farm  and 
everything  on  it,"  Hunt  answered ;  "  and  I  should 
like  to  be  my  own  master,  sometime,  when  I  am  old 
enough." 

^'  Hunt,  come  here  and  give  me  your  hand  ! "  Mr. 
Warren  ordered,  turning  toward  the  boy,  for  his  mood 
had  suddenly  changed  again.  "  I  like  to  see  the  am- 
bition in  you,  my  boy,"  he  continued,  when.  Hunt 
stepped  up  and  held  out  his  hand.     "  I  like  to  see  a 


6  PINE  RIDGE  PLANTATION. 

boy  with  grit  enough  to  want  to  strike  out  for  him- 
self; and  if  the  time  ever  comes  for  you  to  strike  out, 
you  may  count  on  me  for  a  friend.  There  was  some- 
thing more  your  father  left  you,  Hunt,  that  I  forgot 
to  mention  a  minute  ago." 

"  Something  more  my  father  left  me,  sir ! ''  Hunt 
replied,  greatly  surprised. 

"  Yes,  sir ;  the  greatest  thing  your  father  left  you 
was  a  sister,''  Mr.  Warren  resumed.  "  She  is  worth 
more  to  you  than  the  little  money  you  inherited. 
Hunt.  You  have  always  been  a  good  brother  to 
her,  I  must  admit,  and  have  done  as  much  for  her 
as  you  could ;  and  I  like  you  for  it ;  but  before  you 
get  these  foolish  notions  into  your  head,  Hunt,  think 
of  her.  Always  say  to  yourself,  ^  I  must  think  of 
my  sister.' " 

"  Yes,  sir  ! "  Hunt  answered,  "  I  think  very  much 
of  her,  and  it  is  mainly  on  her  account  that  I  want 
to  make  something  of  myself,  sir." 

"Go  and  get  that  kitchen  fire  started,  boy  !"  Mr. 
Warren  exclaimed,  laughing,  and  suddenly  withdraw- 
ing his  hand.  "  Do  you  see  that  sun  ?  Whether  it's 
on  my  farm  or  your  own.  Hunt,  always  let  the  smoke 
of  the  kitchen  chimney  be  ready  to  greet  the  first  ray 
of  the  sun.     Away  with  you,  boy  ! " 

With  these  words  Mr.  Warren  started  off  at  a  rapid 
pace  toward  the  stables,  lea\ang  Hunt  to  struggle  alone 
Avith  the  kitchen  fire.  But  this  was  plain  sailing  for 
him,  for  he  was  a  "  forehanded  "  boy  in  all  matters  of 
duty,  and  never  let  an  evening  pass  without  having 


HUNT  ROBERTSON,   THE  FARM  DRUDGE.        7 

his  kindling-wood  for  morning  split  and  neatly  laid 
behind  the  kitchen  stove. 

The  entrance  to  the  kitchen  was  from  the  little 
'^ stoop''  at  the  side,  invisible  from  where  the  two 
had  been  standing  talking,  and  when  Hunt  reached 
it  and  sprang  briskly  up  the  steps,  it  gave  him  a  shock 
to  see  that  the  door  stood  ajar.  Still,  that  might  not 
mean  burglars  during  the  night,  because  he  was  a  little 
late,  and  Mrs.  Warren  sometimes  made  a  very  early 
appearance  in  the  kitchen.  In  another  moment  he 
was  sure  that  Mrs.  Warren  was  within,  for  her  shrieks 
fell  upon  his  ears. 

"Oh,  oh!"  she  cried;  "my  lands  a  massy!" 
"  Well,  of  all  my  born  days !  Hunt,  Hunt,  do 
come  here  !  oh-h-h  ! " 

With  a  single  bound  Hunt  was  at  the  door,  fearing 
that  in  starting  the  fire  Mrs.  Warren  might  have  set 
fire  to  her  clothing,  for  there  was  not  the  least  doubt 
about  her  voice.  One  look,  when  he  dashed  into  the 
room,  convinced  him  that  his  mistress  was  not  on  fire, 
but  that  something  had  "  scar't  the  mortal  life  clean 
almost  out  of  her,"  as  she  said,  for  she  was  standing 
helpless  and  limp. 

"  Ow  !  ow  !  Hunt,  what  is  it  ?  "  she  continued  her 
cries.  "  Do  take  it  out  of  this,  Hunt,  for  massy 's 
sake ! " 

"  What  is  it  ?"  That  was  the  important  point,  for 
after  the  open  yard  the  kitchen  was  almost  dark. 
Hunt  looked  well  around  him,  prepared  to  encounter 
a  burglar,  if  necessary,  but  no  burglar  was  in  sight. 


8  PWE  RIDGE  PLANTATION. 

Yet  something  surely  moved  in  the  dark  corner  be- 
yond the  stove;  and  just  as  surely  he  saw  a  pair  of 
round  eyes  shining  at  him  from  that  corner,  down 
close  enough  to  the  floor  to  be  a  cat's  eyes,  but  far  too 
large  for  a  cat's  eyes. 

Mrs.  Warren  evidently  saw  the  same  alarming 
sight,  for  she  continued  to  beg  Hunt  to  "  Take  it 
away  !  Do  take  it  away,  Hunt,  before  it  kills  some 
of  us.'' 

While  he  peered  cautiously  into  every  possible  nook 
and  corner,  thoughts  of  some  possible  wild  animal 
flashed  through  Hunt's  mind — a  bear,  perhaps ;  but 
the  idea  of  a  bear  in  a  farmhouse  kitchen  in  Central 
New  York  was  too  ridiculous  to  consider,  though  the 
glowing  eyes  were  just  about  as  far  above  the  floor  as 
a  bear's  would  be  if  he  held  his  head  down. 

His  own  eyes  becoming  more  accustomed  to  the 
gloom.  Hunt  made  out  a  strange,  uncouth  shape, 
above  the  eyes,  that  alarmed  him ;  and  from  the  top 
of  this  dim  form  there  extended,  evidently,  a  pair  of 
small  legs,  sticking  up,  and  beating  the  air. 

"  I  think  it's  a  — ."  He  was  about  to  say  "  a 
boy,"  but  before  he  could  finish  the  sentence,  the 
dangling  legs  were  thrown  suddenly  forward,  the 
large  feet  belonging  to  them  struck  the  floor  with 
a  thud,  and  there  stood  before  them,  bowing  and 
smiling,  a  small  boy,  with  the  blackest  face  they  had 
ever  seen — the  face  apparently  of  a  little  old  man, 
his  bright  eyes  rolling  dreadfully,  and  he  grinning  till 
he  showed  every  one  of  his  white  teeth. 


HUNT  ROBERTSON,   THE  FARM  DRUDGE,       9 

"  Gimme  a  nickel,  boss,  an'  I'll  tu'n  you  another 
handspring  ! "  this  apparition  pleaded ;  and  he  held 
his  hands  out  and  seemed  about  to  carry  the  offer  into 
effect,  but  raised  one  black  hand  to  snatch  off  his 
tattered  soft  gray  felt  hat. 

This  alarming  appearance,  as  if  the  black  boy  had 
sprung  up  through  the  floor,  Avas  more  than  Mrs. 
Warren  could  stand,  and  she  began  to  shriek  again, 
turning  imploringly  to  Hunt,  and  wringing  her  hands. 

''  Take  it  away.  Hunt ! "  she  cried.  "  I  do  believe 
it's  the  evil  one  himself,  or  one  of  his  imps.  Take  it 
away — do.  Hunt ! " 

"  Bress  yer  ha' at,  ma'am,"  the  little  black  ex- 
claimed ;  "  yer  not  'feared  of  a  pore  little  niggah,  is 
you  ?     I'se  not  gwine  done  hurt  yer,  ma'am." 

Certainly,  he  did  not  look  dangerous,  for  he  was 
not  more  than  four  feet  high,  his  short,  thin  legs 
encased  in  very  tight  trousers,  and  his  long,  slim  arms 
now  hung  down  meekly  by  his  sides. 

So  Hunt  made  bold  to  seize  him  by  one  arm,  as  if 
to  lead  him  away. 

"Where  did  you  come  from,  boy?"  Hunt  de- 
manded ;   "  and  what's  your  name  ?  " 

"  No'th  Ca'line,  boss,"  the  boy  readily  answered ; 
"and  my  name  hit  be  N-N-Nathaniel." 

"But  what  are  you  doing  here?"  Hunt  asked; 
and,  before  the  question  could  be  answered,  Mrs. 
Warren  gave  vent  to  a  fresh  series  of  shrieks  : 

"  Oh,  take  it  away  !  take  it  away  ! "  So  Hunt  led 
the  willing  boy  out  of  the  door. 


10  PINE  RIDGE  PLANTATION, 

"  Now,  what  do  you  want  ? ''  he  asked,  when  they 
stood  outside,  on  the  ''  stoop." 

"  Please,  boss  ! ''  the  little  black  answered,  '^  Gun- 
nel Andrews  he  done  sen'  me  here  ter  say  he  be 
stayin'  in  de  tavern  doun  ter  Genevy,  an'  he  comin' 
here  heself,  terday,  if  he  kin  git  here." 

Now  that  the  black  boy  was  outside,  Mrs.  Warren 
felt  much  reheved,  and  the  name  of  Golonel  Andrews 
immediately  attracted  her  attention. 

"  What's  that  ?  "  she  asked,  turning  toward  them ; 
"  Golonel  Andrews  in  Geneva  ?  And  your  name  is 
Nathaniel,  is  it  ?     Nathaniel  what  ?  " 

"No,  ma'am,"  the  boy  answered,  grinning  again, 
and  rolling  his  eyes  wildly ;  "  not  N-N-Nathaniel 
Watt,  ma'am,  N-N-Nathaniel  Brown." 

"  Oh !  and  you  walked  here  this  morning  from 
Geneva,  did  you?"   Mrs.  Warren  asked. 

"  No,  ma'am,"  Nathaniel  replied ;  "  I  run'd  every 
bressed  step  of  de  way ;  'deed  I  did,  ma'am." 

"Are  you  Colonel  Andrews's  boy?"  Hunt  asked. 

"  Wat,  me,  sah  ?  "  Nathaniel  replied,  still  grinning. 
"  No,  sah  !  You  t'ink  Gunnel  Andrews  have  a  little 
niggah  like  me,  sah  ?  No,  sah,  me  fadder,  he  Gunnel 
Andrews's  boy,  sah." 

He  said  it  with  pride,  and  was  about  to  say  more ; 
but  unfortunately  at  that  moment  Mrs.  Warren  threw 
up  her  hands,  as  if  in  dismay  ;  and,  with  one  farewell 
handspring  down  the  steps,  Nathaniel  disappeared  up 
the  path  toward  the  front  gate,  and  around  the  corner 
of  the  house,  his  little  legs  looking  unequal  to  the 


BUNT  ROBERTSON,  THE  FARM  DRUDGE.     11 

task  of  dragging  along  his  great  feet.  But  at  the  last 
2)oint  at  which  he  was  visible  from  the  kitchen  he 
turned  one  more  handspring,  snatched  off  his  hat 
again,  bowed  and  grinned,  and  rolled  his  eyes  as  if  he 
would  include  soil  and  sky  and  all  the  adjoining 
counties  in  that  last  look. 

"  Well,  I  never !  '^  Mrs.  Warren  declared,  when 
Hunt  returned  to  the  kitchen.  ^'  That  blackey  looks 
old  enough  to  be  his  own  grandfather,  but  he's  no 
bigger  'n  one  of  our  old  roosters.  But  you  hustle 
around.  Hunt,  and  get  this  stove  hot.  You  heard 
what  he  said,  did  you?  If  Colonel  Andrews  is  in 
Geneva,  as  he  said,  we're  agoing  to  have  company 
to-day,  for  sure.  But  I  forgot  you  don't  know  about 
it.  Colonel  Andrews,  he's  a  big  cotton  planter  from 
down  South,  and  he  an'  Mr.  Warren  have  been  writ- 
ing letters  to  one  another  about  exchanging  properties. 
So  you  must  make  everything  neat  and  tidy.  Hunt, 
after  the  breakfast  is  cleared  away." 

Hunt's  work  on  the  Warren  farm  was  not  all  out 
in  the  fields,  but  lay  in  large  part  in  the  farmhouse 
kitchen,  where  he  was  Mrs.  Warren's  sole  assistant. 
He  soon  had  the  fire  roaring ;  but  that,  as  he  well 
knew,  was  only  the  beginning  of  his  duties  prepara- 
tory to  breakfast.  He  went  out  to  the  pump  and 
filled  the  teakettle,  brought  in  a  strip  of  smoked  bacon 
from  the  adjoining  pantry,  and  cut  off  six  neat  slices. 
Then  the  cattle  needed  his  attention  in  the  barn ;  and 
more  than  an  hour  passed  before  he  could  return  to 
eat  the  hot  biscuit  and  slice  of  bacon  and  odds  and 


12  PINE  RIDGE  PLANTATION. 

ends  of  bread  that  Mrs.  Warren  left  upon  the  kitchen 
table  for  him,  both  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Warren  having 
meanwhile  eaten  their  own  breakfasts  in  an  adjoining 
room. 

Taking  only  a  few  hasty  bites  while  standing,  Hunt, 
when  he  returned  to  the  kitchen,  set  immediately  to 
work  at  the  cleaning  and  scouring  that  he  knew  he 
must  do  if  Mrs.  Warren  expected  company  that  day. 
The  kitchen  stove  was  now  cold,  and  his  first  work 
was  to  polish  it  till  it  shone  like  a  mirror.  Then  he 
took  up  all  the  pots  and  pans  in  use  and  carried  them 
into  the  yard,  where  he  scoured  them  till  they  were  as 
bright  as  new.  Knives  and  forks  and  kitchen  spoons 
came  next,  and  he  continued  his  scouring  till  all  the 
kitchenry  was  in  excellent  order. 

This  and  future  work  in  the  barn  kept  him  busy 
till  past  ten  o'clock ;  and  when  he  next  returned  to 
the  kitchen  to  carry  in  more  water  for  his  mistress, 
he  was  surprised  by  a  visit  from  Mr.  Warren. 

"You  have  everything  looking  very  bright  and 
clean,  here.  Hunt,"  the  farmer  told  him,  "and  Fm 
glad  of  it,  for  we  expect  company  to-day.  If  that 
little  black  imp  told  the  truth,  we  may  expect  to  see 
Colonel  Andrews  here  before  night." 

"  But  I'm  going  to  send  you  down  to  Geneva,  pres- 
ently, with  the  gray  mare  to  bring  Colonel  Andrews 
here,"  he  continued ;  "  so  I  will  tell  you  who  he  is. 
You  know  the  road  to  Geneva,  of  course,  and  if  he  is 
there  you  will  be  sure  to  find  him  at  the  Jefferson 
House,  because  that  is  the  best  hotel." 


HUNT  ROBERTSON,   THE  FARM  DRUDGE.     13 

"  You  wouldn't  find  Colonel  Andrews  in  any  hotel 
but  the  best/'  he  went  on,  "  for  he  is  not  afraid  to 
spend  his  money.  Colonel  Andrews  has  a  large 
cotton  plantation  down  in  North  Carolina;  and  as 
he  knows  a  good  farm  when  he  sees  it,  he  and  I  have 
been  writing  to  one  another  for  some  time  about  ex- 
changing our  properties — trading,  you  know.  I  don't 
suppose  anything  will  come  of  it ;  but  when  you  get 
down  there  I  want  you  to  give  him  my  compliments, 
and  tell  him  I  sent  you  down  to  bring  him  up  here, 
if  he  can  come.  Then  you  bring  him  back  with  you, 
if  he'll  come.  Do  you  hear  ?  The  colonel  is  a  very 
fine  gentleman,  and  I  want  you  to  treat  him  just  as 
polite  and  nice  as  you  know  how.  Now,  run  up  to 
your  room  and  spruce  yourself  up  a  bit,  and  take  the 
gray  mare  and  top-buggy  down  to  Geneva." 


CHAPTER   II. 

COLONEL   ANDREWS,    OF   NORTH   CAROLINA. 

It  made  a  gala  day  for  Hunt,  driving  alone  to 
Geneva  with  the  top-buggy,  the  newest  and  shiniest 
vehicle  that  the  Warren  farm  afforded.  FoUoAving 
instructions  to  the  letter,  he  kept  the  gray  mare  at  a 
leisurely  pace,  exercised  great  care  in  the  busy  streets 
of  the  town,  and  drew  up  beside  the  horse  block  in 
front  of  the  Jefferson  House,  where  one  of  the  stable 
boys  ran  up  and  took  his  horse  by  the  bridle. 

"  I  am  looking  for  Colonel  Andrews,''  he  told  the 
boy ;  "  can  you  tell  me  where  to  find  him  ?  " 

"  That's  Colonel  Andrews,  on  the  piazza,"  the  boy 
answered,  nodding  his  head  toward  a  gentleman  who 
sat  tilted  back  against  the  wall,  in  one  of  the  broad 
arm  chairs.     "Here  he  comes  now." 

Hunt  sprang  out,  and  waited  at  the  foot  of  the 
piazza  steps  for  the  tall,  plump,  well-dressed  and 
well-tanned  gentleman  in  a  broad-brimmed,  pearl- 
gray  hat,  who  now  approached  and  lithely  descended 
the  steps,  with  content  and  good-nature  written  in 
every  feature  of  his  handsome  face. 

"  Looking  for  me,  my  boy  ?  "  the  gentleman  asked, 
when  he  reached  Hunt,  and  patted  him  kindly  on  the 
shoulder.     "  That's  a  fine  animal  you  have  there,"  he 

14 


COLONEL  ANDREWS,   OF  NORTH  CAROLINA.   15 

continued ;  and  in  another  moment  he  had  stroked 
the  mare's  sleek  side,  looked  at  her  mouth,  and  lifted 
lier  "  nigh  "  forefoot.  "  She's  Farmer  Warren's  mare, 
if  I'm  not  mistaken,"  he  added,  after  completing  the 
examination.     '^  And  are  you  Mr.  Warren's  boy  ?  " 

"  Yes,  sir,"  Hunt  repHed ;  put  at  his  ease  by  the 
gentleman's  friendly  manner.  "  Mr.  Warren  sends 
his  compliments  to  you,  sir,  and  sent  me  to  carry  you 
down  to  the  farm,  if  you  can  go,  sir." 

"Very  kind  of  him,  I'm  sure,"  the  colonel  ex- 
claimed, looking  the  buggy  over  with  a  critical  eye, 
and  offering  his  hand  to  Hunt.  "  Friend  Warren 
must  have  confidence  in  you,  my  boy,  to  trust  you 
mth  the  gray  mare,  and  the  top-buggy  that  he  drives 
to  church  in." 

The  coin  that  Colonel  Andrews  flipped  to  the  stable 
boy  for  holding  the  horse  was  a  quarter-dollar.  Hunt 
was  almost  sure ;  and  when  the  colonel's  boy,  Mose, 
from  North  Carolina,  appeared,  as  he  did  in  a  few 
minutes,  the  chief  end  and  aim  of  his  life  seemed  to  be 
to  brush  the  very  last  speck  of  dust  from  the  colonel's 
clothes,  and  to  leave  no  spot  or  blemish  upon  his 
patent-leather  boots.  Mose  looked  to  Hunt  a  little 
past  thirty,  a  full-grown  man,  and  a  man  of  no  little 
importance,  in  his  own  eyes,  because  his  was  the  sole 
responsibility  for  keeping  "de  Kunnel's"  clothing 
presentable.  When  Mose,  in  coming  to  the  front, 
stuck  his  head  in  the  partly  open  door,  and  called 
back  to  some  invisible  person,  "  Now,  you  git  back 
dar,  you  liT   niggah.     Ef  you  follers  me  agin,  I'll 


16  PINE  RIDGE  PLANTATION. 

wring  your  brack  neck,  I  will/'  it  was  presumably 
to  the  acrobatic  Nathaniel  that  he  was  talking ;  and 
the  frequent  thumping  of  a  pair  of  hands  upon  the 
bare  floor  inside,  followed  always  by  the  louder  thump- 
ing of  a  pair  of  heavy  shoes,  justified  the  inference 
that  Nathaniel  was  turning  a  series  of  handsprings 
down  the  long  hall. 

"  I'm  going  out  to  the  Warren  farm,  Mose,"  the 
colonel  said  to  his  man,  as  he  seated  himself  in  the 
buggy.  "  That's  six  or  seven  miles  from  here,  and  I 
shall  want  you  there  during  the  day,  but  it's  too  far 
for  you  to  walk.  So  you  take  the  one  o'clock  train 
up  to  Phelps,  the  next  town  from  here,  and  then  walk 
a  mile  or  two  across.  The  Warren  farm ;  you  hear, 
boy  ?" 

"  Yis,  sah ;  yis,  Kunnel.  I'll  be  dar,  sah,"  Mose 
replied,  taking  off  his  hat  and  bowing  and  scraping 
himself  all  the  way  up  the  piazza  steps  ;  "  yis,  Kunnel, 
nevah  feah  'bout  Mose,  sah,  he  be  dah,  suh,  sah." 

"Go  on,  my  boy,"  the  colonel  then  told  Hunt, 
smiling  a  little  at  Mose's  antics.  "  If  you  don't  have 
to  hurry  home,  we  might  drive  around  the  streets  a 
little,  to  see  the  town,  and  the  lake  it  stands  on ; 
what's  the  name  of  this  lake  here  ?" 

"Seneca  Lake,  sir,"  Hunt  answered,  proud  to  be 
able  to  give  any  information  to  so  fine  a  gentleman ; 
"and  I  know  Mr.  Warren  would  want  me  to  take 
you  wherever  you  like  to  go,  sir." 

They  had  not  driven  far  through  the  streets  before 
Hunt  was  nodding  and  smiling  at  a  young  man  in 


COLONEL  ANDREWS,   OF  NORTH  CAROLINA.  17 

working-clothes,  who  was  waving  his  hand  furiously 
in  return,  and  who  evidently  desired  to  stop  and 
speak. 

"That  a  friend  of  yours,  my  boy?"  the  colonel 
asked. 

"  Yes,  sir,"  Hunt  answered ;  "  that's  Scotty  Wat- 
son.    He  works  here  in  Geneva,  sir." 

"  Then  stop  and  speak  to  him,  if  you  want  to,"  the 
colonel  ordered ;  "  don't  hesitate  on  my  account,  for 
I'm  in  no  hurry,"  and  Hunt  pulled  up  to  the  curb 
and  stopped. 

"  Hello,  Scotty,"  was  his  greeting,  "  I'm  afraid 
you're  not  looking  well ;  ain't  you  feeling  as  well  as 
usual  ?" 

Scotty  touched  his  hat  respectfully  to  the  colonel 
before  answering.  "  Yes,  just  about  as  well  as  usual. 
Hunt,  and  that's  not  saying  very  much.  This  early 
and  late  business  is  doing  me  up,  for  a  fact,  and  I 
don't  see  that  there's  ever  going  to  be  any  end  to  it. 
But  my  boss  pays  for  my  muscle,  and  I  suppose  he's 
entitled  to  wear  it  out  if  he  wants  to.  It's  wearing 
the  heart  out  of  me,  too.  Hunt,  this  everlasting  grind 
for  other  people.  I  like  work,  and  I  don't  care  how 
much  I  have  of  it,  if  I  could  be  working  for  myself, 
and  see  a  little  something  ahead,  old  fellow.  Some 
day  I  want  to  strike  out  for  myself,  old  chap,  and 
then  we'll  see  whether  I  haven't  a  lot  of  good  work 
in  me." 

"  Working  for  wages,  for  one  of  the  big  firms  here, 
are  you  ?"  the  colonel  asked,  turning  pleasantly  toward 
2 


18  PINE  RIDGE  PLANTATION. 

Scotty.  "  Well,  my  boy,  I  don't  wonder  that  you 
feel  all  fagged  out,  for  you  have  precious  little  to  look 
forward  to.  I  never  see  a  working  boy  up  in  the 
North  here  without  feeling  like  advising  him  to  come 
down  into  my  country  and  strike  out  for  himself.  I 
come  from  North  Carolina,  Scotty,  where  a  man  can 
work  outdoors  nearly  every  day  in  the  year,  and  where 
a  poor  boy  can  begin  by  buying  a  little  patch  of  land 
very  cheap,  and  put  up  his  own  little  shanty,  and  soon 
buy  his  own  mule,  and  gradually  turn  his  land  into  a 
little  cotton  plantation,  and  so  work  on  and  up  till  he 
makes  a  man  of  himself.  There's  something  to  look 
forward  to,  you  see,  Scotty,  and  it's  better  than  wear- 
ing your  life  out  here  in  the  Northern  cities,  as  so 
many  poor  boys  are  doing.  You  can't  do  the  same 
thing  up  here,  you  know,  because  the  price  of  land  is 
so  much  higher ;  and  I'm  sure  there  is  no  outlook  for 
you  in  a  factory.  It  seems  to  me  that  all  the  poor 
boys  in  the  North  just  crowd  into  the  towns,  where 
they  are  ground  into  powder.  I  wish  I  could  take  a 
few  regiments  of  them  south  with  me,  where  they 
would  have  a  chance  to  make  men  of  themselves." 

"  Is  land  cheaper  down  in  North  Carolina,  sir  ?" 
Scotty  asked,  apparently  much  interested.  "  What 
could  a  fellow  buy  a  little  land  down  there  for,  sir  ?" 

"  That  depends  upon  the  situation,"  the  colonel 
answered,  smiling.  "Now,  my  place  is  near  Golds- 
boro',  where  good  land  is  worth  nearly  as  much  as  it 
is  here  in  Central  New  York.  But  suppose  you  went 
a  few  miles  out  of  New  Bern,  let  us  say,  where  I  go 


COLONEL  ANDREWS,   OF  NORTH  CAROLINA,   19 

to  do  a  great  deal  of  my  business.  There  the  Neuse 
and  the  Trent  Rivers  flow  together,  you  know ;  and 
if  you  should  go  three  or  four  miles  up  the  Trent 
River,  to  a  good  spot  I  know,  I  think  you  could  get 
wild  land  for  a  dollar  or  two  dollars  an  acre.  That 
is  a  cotton  country,  you  know,  and  besides  it  is  a 
great  trucking  country ;  and  you  could  make  that 
same  land  worth  fifty  dollars  an  acre  in  a  few  years, 
if  you  gave  it  plenty  of  hard  work.'^ 

"  But  a  fellow  must  have  some  sort  of  a  house  to 
live  in  down  there,  sir,  I  suppose  ?"  Scotty  asked. 

"  Of  course,  he  must,"  the  colonel  answered,  smiling 
again.  "  We  have  saw  mills  on  the  river  banks, 
where  slabs  are  sold  for  almost  nothing.  Slabs  are 
the  outer  slices  off  of  big  logs,  you  know,  before  the 
boards  are  cut.  And  many  a  good  shanty  has  been 
built  out  of  slabs,  at  a  cost  of  about  half  a  dollar  and 
a  little  work.  Then  a  young  fellow  with  a  bit  of  land 
has  a  home  of  his  own,  Scotty,  and  is  independent  of 
the  world,  and  can  always  have  plenty.  Why  the 
ground  is  full  of  corn  and  cotton,  and  the  rivers  are 
full  of  fish,  and  the  woods  are  full  of  wild  turkeys, 
and  the  river  bars  are  full  of  oysters.  Never  give 
up,  Scotty,  my  boy,  while  dear  old  North  Carolina  is 
within  a  thousand  miles  of  here,  to  give  you  a  chance 
in  life.  Many  a  poor  boy  has  started  there  without 
capital,  and  now  has  his  bank  account  and  his  home 
and  cotton  bales.  So,  cheer  up,  Scotty,  my  boy, 
cheer  up  !'' 

"  Thank  you,  sir  !"  Scotty  exclaimed,  taking  off  his 


20  PINE  BIDGE  PLANTATION. 

hat,  as  Hunt  tightened  the  reins.  "  Thank  you  very 
much  for  telling  me  about  such  a  place.  I  did  not 
know  there  was  any  place  in  the  world  where  a  fellow 
could  get  out  of  this  dreadful  grind  of  working  always 
to  make  other  people  rich.'' 

"Why,  to  be  sure  there  is,  Scotty,"  the  colonel 
laughed,  "and  North  Carolina  is  the  place.  Not 
only  my  State,  understand, — though,  of  course,  I 
think  of  that  first, — but  all  that  region  there  in  the 
Middle  South,  where  land  is  cheap  and  Nature  is 
kind.  No  man  can  starve  down  there,  Scotty ;  and 
if  he  works  hard  he  has  the  benefit  of  his  own  labor. 
It  is  no  place  for  drones,  but  an  industrious  young 
man  down  there  can  soon  make  himself  independent. 
It  is  worth  your  thinking  about,  Scotty.'' 

"  Thank  you,  sir !"  Scotty  repeated,  again  taking 
off  his  hat.  "  If  I  knew  as  much  about  farming  as 
you  do.  Hunt,  I  should  be  down  in  this  gentleman's 
country  in  short  order,  I  tell  you."  . 

"I  should  like  to  be  down  there  myself,"  Hunt 
called  back,  as  he  started  up  the  mare  and  Scotty 
turned  away. 

"  That's  an  evidence  of  your  good  sense,  my  boy," 
the  colonel  said  to  Hunt,  when  they  were  under  way. 
"  I  suppose  you  try  to  look  forward  sometimes  to  see 
what  you  are  coming  to.  If  you  do,  you  can  see 
yourself  a  farm  laborer  ten  years  from  now,  instead 
of  a  farmer's  boy,  as  you  are  at  present.  If  I  can  say 
anything  that  will  help  you  to  be  an  independent  man 
in  ten  years,  a  planter  in  a  small  way,  growing  your 


COLONEL  ANDREWS,   OF  NORTH  CAROLINA.  21 

own  crops,  I  shall  be  glad.  You  are  just  the  sort  of 
young  man  to  make  your  way  down  in  my  country, 
I  think." 

"  Thank  you,  sir,"  Hunt  answered.  "  I  have  often 
wished  for  such  a  thing,  but  I  do  not  know  how  to 
set  about  making  the  start." 

"  Oh,  you  have  !  have  you  ?"  the  colonel  exclaimed. 
"Then  it  is  a  good  morning's  work  that  you  have 
been  put  into  this  buggy  with  me,  for  I  can  tell  you 
how  to  make  the  start.  So  head  the  mare  for  home, 
my  boy,  but  let  her  take  her  time,  to  give  me  a  chance 
to  tell  you  a  thing  or  two." 

"  The  first  thing  for  you  or  any  other  young  man 
to  do  is  to  save  a  little  money,"  the  colonel  continued. 
"  Save  your  wages,  raise  a  colt  if  your  boss  will  let 
you,  raise  some  pigs,  and  do  odd  jobs  for  the  neigh- 
bors when  you  can." 

"  I  have  a  little  money  now,  sir,"  Hunt  frankly 
admitted.  "  It  is  only  a  little,  of  course.  My  father 
left  me  one  hundred  and  fifty  dollars,  and  I  have 
saved  twenty-five  dollars,  and  Mr.  Warren  is  keeping 
the  one  hundred  and  seventy-five  dollars  for  me." 

"  Then  the  way  for  you  to  start  is  as  clear  as  a  pane 
of  glass  !"  the  colonel  cried,  clapping  Hunt  upon  the 
shoulder.  "  If  you  have  as  much  grit  as  I  think  you 
have,  you  can  be  at  work  on  your  own  little  farm 
before  this  time  next  year.  Since  you  have  a  little 
money  for  your  first  expenses,  there  is  nothing  to 
hinder  you.  First  make  your  way  to  New  York,  and 
there  buy  your  ticket  right  through  to  New  Bern, 


22  PINE  RIDGE  PLANTATION. 

North  Carolina.  When  you  get  to  New  Bern,  go  right 
straight  to  Burrus  &  Gray,  cotton  brokers  and  grain 
and  hay  dealers,  and  tell  Mr.  Burrus  that  Colonel 
Andrews  sent  you  to  him.  Tell  him  I  told  you  to 
ask  about  a  little  cotton  patch  over  on  Brice  Creek. 
He  will  treat  you  well,  and  he  knows  that  country. 
In  a  few  days  after  you  get  your  land  you  will  have 
your  own  little  shanty  up,  and  then  you  will  be  at 
home.  Why,  I  shall  be  out  there  some  day  to  eat 
dinner  with  you,  my  boy.  And  you  will  have  two 
friends  down  in  that  country ;  one  will  be  Mr.  Burrus 
and  the  other  will  be  Colonel  Andrews.  So  there  are 
the  plans  laid  for  you,  my  boy,  if  you  really  have  the 
pluck  to  start  in  and  make  a  man  of  yourself." 

"But  my  sister,  sir?''  Hunt  asked.  "I  have  a 
sister  a  year  younger  than  myself,  working  for  a 
farmer  near  Mr.  Warren's,  and  I  cannot  desert  her." 

"  Of  course,  you  cannot  desert  her  !"  the  colonel  re- 
torted. "  But  you  can  go  ahead  to  make  a  home  for 
her,  and  in  a  few  months  she  can  be  keeping  house 
for  you  on  the  shore  of  the  river  Trent.  Why,  you 
are  a  lucky  boy,  to  have  a  little  nest  egg  of  money  and 
a  sister.  But  when  you  go,  my  boy,  as  I  believe  you 
will,  do  everything  honestly  and  fairly,  and  ask  Mr. 
Warren's  advice  and  permission.  No  running  away, 
you  know,  for  that  makes  a  bad  beginning." 

"  Oh,  I  shall  not  run  away,  sir,  and  I  am  sure  Mr. 
Warren  will  be  my  friend.  But  my  head  is  very  full 
of  a  little  farm  of  my  own,  sir,  and  working  for  my- 
self." 


COLONEL  ANDREWS,   OF  NORTH  CAROLINA.  23 

Before  many  hours  had  passed  the  "  chores "  on  the 
Warren  farm  had  been  done,  and  Mr.  Warren  and  the 
colonel  had  been  long  in  consultation  in  the  sitting- 
room,  and  Hunt  had  been  sent  for,  and  Mr.  Warren 
had  expressed  his  willingness  to  let  his  boy  sally  forth 
to  make  a  start  for  himself. 

"  Then  that  matter  is  settled,  sir,''  Hunt  answered, 
looking  at  both  Mr.  Warren  and  the  colonel,  "  and  I 
am  going  to  North  Carolina.'' 

"  Good  boy  !"  the  colonel  exclaimed.  "  Down  there 
you  will  make  a  man  of  yourself,  I  am  sure.  And 
here  is  some  one  who  says  she  is  going  to  help  you  to 
establish  a  home.  Come  here,  little  one,  and  tell  your 
brother  what  you  have  been  telling  me." 

Much  to  Hunt's  surprise,  his  sister  stepped  timidly 
forward  from  a  corner  at  this  summons,  for  she  had 
been  sent  to  the  Warren  farm  on  an  errand. 

"  Indeed,  Hunt,  I  will  do  my  share  of  the  work,  if 
you  will  let  me,"  she  declared ;  and  her  eyes  sparkled 
with  pleasure  at  the  very  idea  of  their  having  a  home 
of  their  own. 

"  Well,  Mary,  it  shall  be  a  home  for  us  both,  if  I 
can  manage  to  get  one,"  Hunt  answered.  "  I  am 
going  to  make  a  push  for  independence,  Mary,  but  it 
is  for  independence  for  us  both." 

"And  it  is  with  my  approval,  Mary,"  Mr.  Warren 
assured  her,  after  a  moment,  for  the  little  girl  seemed 
rather  alarmed. 

"  And  I  think  your  brother  is  going  to  make  a  man 
of  himself,"  he  added. 


24 


PINE  RIDGE  PLANTATION. 


"  I  am  sure  of  it,"  the  colonel  echoed.  "  You  have 
a  good  brother,  little  one,  and  he  is  on  the  right  track 
now  to  make  a  home  for  you  both.  So  your  name  is 
Mary,  is  it  ?  I  want  you  to  keep  this  silver  dollar  for 
me,  Mary,  till  I  meet  you  on  your  brother's  farm  in 
North  Carolina.'^ 


CHAPTER  III. 

HUNT   BECOMES   A   NORTH   CAEOLINIAN. 

When  the  steamboat  Neuse  drew  up  to  her  wharf 
at  the  foot  of  Craven  Street,  in  New  Bern,  and  Hunt 
stepped  ashore,  he  found  himself  practically  in  a  new 
world.  Instead  of  the  bales  of  hay  that  he  had  been 
accustomed  to  see  about  him,  the  bales  here  were  bales 
of  cotton,  and  they  were  so  many  that  they  littered 
the  platforms  and  almost  blocked  the  way.  Instead 
of  the  farmers  and  farmer's  boys  to  be  seen  on  the 
railway  platforms  of  Ontario  County,  the  people  on 
the  wharf  were  nearly  all  black.  A  few  white  pas- 
sengers landed,  like  himself,  from  the  boat,  but  they 
were  soon  lost  in  the  crowd  of  blacks,  and  disappeared. 

"  Then  this  is  what  I  have  to  buck  against  in  the 
South,"  he  said  to  himself,  as,  in  making  his  way  to 
the  exit  to  the  street,  he  looked  wonderingly  at  the 
assembly  of  negroes. 

"  These  fellows  all  have  muscle  for  sale,  and  most 
of  them,  no  doubt,  have  as  much  of  it  as  I  have.  I 
must  try  to  mix  some  brain  with  my  muscle,  for  that's 
what  counts.'' 

"  Transfer,  sah  ?  Right  this  way,  sah,  all  ready 
to  start."  Every  man  in  the  crowd  seemed  to  be  a 
hackman,  and  to  call  his  hack  a  transfer. 

25 


26  PINE  RIDGE  PLANTATION. 

"  No,  I  am  going  to  walk,"  he  told  each  of  them ; 
for  the  few  dollars  left  in  his  pocket  warranted  no 
extravagance,  and  he  pushed  through  to  the  street, 
where,  almost  directly  across  the  way,  he  was  de- 
lighted to  see  the  name  of  "  Burrus  &  Gray  "  upon  a 
large  sign  surmounting  a  brick  building.  But,  being 
something  of  a  traveller  by  this  time,  he  wisely  con- 
cluded that  a  business  firm  would  be  busy  immediately 
after  the  arrival  of  the  boat,  and  that  he  had  better 
have  a  tramp  about  the  town  before  calling.  With 
this  idea  he  crossed  the  street  and  started  inland  at  a 
brisk  pace,  and  as  he  passed  the  Burrus  &  Gray  build- 
ing his  progress  was  stopped  by  a  rapping  upon  the 
window.  Looking  in,  he  saw  a  kindly  faced  gentle- 
man leaning  back  comfortably  in  an  arm  chair,  smoking 
a  long-stemmed  pipe,  and  beckoning  him  in. 

Wondering  much  at  this,  he  stopped  and  entered 
the  office,  in  which  were  several  chairs  and  desks. 

"  Are  you  Hunt  Robertson,  my  boy  ?''  the  gentle- 
man with  the  pipe  asked. 

"  Yes,  sir !"  Hunt  replied,  taking  off  his  hat  in 
great  wonderment. 

"Ah,  I  thought  you  might  be,"  the  gentlem-an  con- 
tinued, "  for  a  letter  from  Colonel  Andrews  this  morn- 
ing told  me  you  were  coming.  I  am  Mr.  Burrus,  and 
I  just  called  you  in  to  make  you  feel  a  little  at  home 
here,  for  we  like  to  show  some  little  attention  to 
strangers.  Quite  a  ways  from  Central  New  York 
you  are,  but  you  will  find  plenty  of  good-hearted 
people  down  here.     Did   you  come   all  the  way  by 


HUNT  BECOMES  A  NORTH  CAROLINIAN.     27 

water?''  he  asked,  with  another  pull  at  the  long- 
stemmed  pipe. 

"  Yes,  sir/'  Hunt  answered  ;  "  nearly  every  step  of 
the  way  from  the  farm,  for  I  walked  over  to  Lyons 
and  made  my  way  down  to  New  York  on  the  canal, 
because  that  was  so  much  cheaper  than  the  cars. 
Then  I  bought  my  ticket  through  to  New  Bern,  sir, 
and  the  big  steamship  that  made  me  sick  carried  me 
to  Norfolk,  and  there  they  put  me  in  the  cars,  and 
then  in  the  steamboat  Neuse,  sir,  that  brought  me 
across  Albemarle  Sound  and  Pamlico  Sound,  sir,  and 
we  got  here  a  few  minutes  ago,  sir." 

"  You  did  perfectly  right.  Hunt,"  Mr.  Burrus  de- 
clared, "  and  now  we'll  soon  make  a  North  Carolinian 
of  you  down  here,  and  a  cotton  planter,  too,  I  hope, 
for  Colonel  Andrews  tells  me  that  is  what  you  have 
in  view.  Go  out  and  see  our  city,  now  you're  in  it, 
but  be  sure  to  be  back  here  by  four  or  five  o'clock, 
and  I'll  help  you  make  your  plans  for  the  night." 

"  Thank  you,  sir ;  I'll  be  back  in  time,  sir,"  Hunt 
answered,  turning  to  the  door.  He  was  hardly  out- 
side before  he  was  surrounded  by  a  group  of  colored 
men,  so  sprinkled  with  loose  cotton  that  he  thought 
they  must  have  been  rolling  in  it,  for  he  could  not 
know  that  they  were  Burrus  &  Gray's  porters  just 
returned  from  their  work  in  the  gin  house,  where 
loose  cotton  flies  like  snowflakes ;  but  they  were  very 
civil  and  polite,  and  every  one  of  them  bade  him 
"  Mawnin',  sah ;"  "  Mawnin',  sah."  He  started  toward 
the  next  street,  and  just  as  he  reached  the  corner  he 


28  PINE  RIDGE  PLANTATION. 

had  to  stop  to  make  way  for  a  very  old  and  very 
black  woman,  clad  in  rags,  with  a  few  sticks  of  wood 
on  one  arm  and  some  long,  straggling  gray  hairs  on 
her  chin,  who  held  out  her  hand  beseechingly  to  him. 

"  Mawnin',  boss,"  she  greeted  him ;  "  gimme  a 
penny  ?  Please  gimme  a  penny,  boss  ?  I'll  let  you 
kiss  me  if  you  give  me  a  penny." 

"  Poor  soul,"  he  said  to  himself,  seeing  at  once  that 
she  had  lost  her  mind,  "  I  guess  she  needs  it  worse 
than  I  do  !"  and  handing  her  the  penny  he  turned 
the  corner,  and  found  himself  in  a  few  moments  at 
the  point  formed  by  the  junction  of  the  Neuse  and 
Trent  Rivers,  where  several  abandoned  old  steamboats 
lay  on  the  shore,  and  some  trim  steam  launches  and 
yachts  were  anchored  in  the  stream.  Turning  here 
to  the  left  he  was  in  East  Front  Street,  with  the 
beautiful  Neuse  River  on  his  right. 

"  Why,  it's  as  large  as  the  Hudson  River  at  New 
York !"  he  said  to  himself,  "  with  big  steamboats 
going  up  and  down,  and  no  end  of  sailing  craft,  and 
that  handsome  white  steamer  up  above  there  must  be 
the  Revenue  Cutter  IVe  heard  them  speak  of." 

"  Mawnin',  sah  !"  This  came  from  an  intelligent- 
looking  black  man,  who  took  oflP  his  hat  and  evidently 
desired  to  stop  and  talk.     ''  Strangah,  heah,  sah  ?" 

"Just  got  here  this  morning,"  Hunt  answered. 
"  I  wish  you  would  tell  me  whether  all  the  people  in 
this  place  are  colored  ?  It  seems  to  me  I  don't  meet 
any  but  colored  people  in  the  streets." 

"  No,  sah  ;  not  quite  all,"  the  man  answered,  adding 


HUNT  BECOMES  A  NORTH  CAROLINIAN.     29 

a  merry  yah,  yah,  yah.  "  Dey's  nine  t'ousan'  people 
in  New  Bern,  sah,  an'  six  t'ousan'  of  'em's  brack ;  so 
w'en  you  meets  t'ree  people  in  de  street,  two  of  'em's 
boun'  to  be  brack.  Got  a  little  baccy  'bout  you, 
boss  ?" 

Hunt  had  no  tobacco,  so  he  started  along,  but  the 
man  stopped  him  with  an  exclamation. 

"  You  see  dat  big  brick  house  ober  dar,  boss  ?"  he 
asked,  nodding  his  head  toward  a  very  gloomy  and 
dismal  old  brick  house  on  the  river  bank.  "  Dat  de 
Ashclark  house,  boss.  Reckon  yo'  done  heerd  tell 
o'  Ashclark,  fer  he  was  a  great  pirate  in  dese  parts, 
long  time  ago.  He  de  man  w'at  drownded  his  two 
darters  down  to  Beaufort,  so  dey  does  say,  an'  married 
an  Eyetalian  woman,  an'  like  to  git  he's  neck  stretch 
in  prison  if  Massa  Grant  hadn't  a  done  pardon  'im, 
boss.  Dat  was  soon  awftah  Massa  Linkum  done 
make  us  all  free,  bless  de  Lawd." 

Hunt  continued  his  Avalk  up  the  river  side  as  far 
as  the  Neuse  River  bridge,  a  mile  and  a  quarter  long, 
a  wooden  bridge  with  an  iron  draw  near  the  centre ; 
and  beyond  the  bridge  he  saw  a  long  line  of  saw  mills 
and  factories ;  but  as  his  errand  was  to  see  the  town 
he  turned  here  to  the  left  and  took  a  cross-street 
inland.  There  were  many  fine  old  mansions,  he  no- 
ticed, some  of  wood  and  some  of  brick ;  but  in  a  few 
minutes  he  was  in  a  maze  of  narrow  streets  lined  with 
shanties,  whose  occupants  were  evidently  the  colored 
people,  and  the  occupants  were  much  in  evidence  in 
the  doorways,  in  the  windows,  and  leaning  in  the  sun 


30  PINE  RIDGE  PLANTATION. 

against  the  fences ;  nearly  every  one  of  them  greeting 
him  with  a  cheerful  "  Mawnin^,  boss." 

These  long  streets  of  shanties  interested  him  more 
than  the  finer  houses,  for  he  hoped  before  long  to 
make  an  experiment  of  his  own  in  shanty  architecture. 

"  I  never  saw  anything  like  this/'  he  admitted  to 
himself,  "  nor  imagined  such  a  thing.  If  this  is  the 
way  the  Southern  negroes  live,  I  don't  wonder  that 
they're  poor.  I  wouldn't  leave  a  cow  shed  the  way 
they  are  satisfied  to  keep  these  shanties.  Some  of 
them  have  had  paint  on  them  long  ago,  and  some 
have  had  whitewash,  but  it's  always  gone.  The 
chimneys  are  what  take  my  eye." 

"  Chimleys,  sah  ?"  said  a  voice  close  to  his  ear, 
belonging  to  a  very  black  man,  who  leaned  against 
the  fence.  "Yes,  we  all  has  chimleys,  sah.  Some 
people's  so  shif'less  dey's  satisfied  wid  a  little  fiah  in 
de  back  yaad ;  but  in  New  Bern  we  all  does  have 
chimleys,  sah." 

It  gave  Hunt  a  start  to  find  that  in  his  interest  in 
the  subject  he  had  put  his  thoughts  into  spoken  words, 
and  the  man  had  heard  them.  "  Won'  you  step  in, 
boss,  if  you's  a  strangah  in  dese  parts?"  the  man 
went  on  ;  and  Hunt  accepted  his  invitation. 

"  It's  the  queer  way  you  build  your  chimneys  down 
here  I  was  thinking  of,"  he  said,  after  the  man  had 
shown  his  little  premises  with  some  pride  "  Why, 
they're  all  built  outside,  up  against  the  ends  of  the 
houses,  and  generally  lean  away  from  the  house,  and 
— why,  I  declare  they're  built  of  wood.     I  should 


HUNT  BECOMES  A   NORTH  CAROLINIAN.     31 

think  they  woiikl  catch  fire,  when  they  don't  fall 
clown.  There's  one  in  the  next  yard  that  has  fallen 
down,  and  broken  all  to  pieces/' 

"  No,  sah ;  dey  don'  take  fiah,  sah,"  the  man  ex- 
plained. "  Ain'  dat  de  way  you  does  build  chimleys 
up  No'th  ?" 

"  What,  of  wood  ?"  Hunt  answered.  "  No,  sir ;  we 
use  bricks  or  stone  up  North." 

^^  Dey  ain'  no  stones  in  No'th  Ca'line,  boss,"  the 
man  explained,  '^  's  fur  as  I've  seed,  an'  poor  niggah 
he  can't  afford  to  buy  bricks,  so  he  use  sticks  an'  clay, 
an'  it  make  berry  good  chimley,  sah." 

"  No  doubt  it  answers  the  purpose,"  Hunt  agreed, 
"  but  I  should  think  you'd  have  some  dreadful  fires 
here.  Why,  this  street  of  cabins  must  be  a  mile  long, 
and  they're  not  only  set  up  one  after  another,  but 
more  cabins  put  in  the  back  yards,  and  more  back  of 
those,  and  more  and  more  wherever  there's  a  foot  of 
room,  till  every  foot  is  covered.  But  I  don't  see  why 
you  don't  straighten  up  the  fallen  chimneys,  anyhow, 
and  replace  the  broken  glass  in  the  windows,  and  put 
new  hinges  to  the  doors  and  shutters.  Why,  every- 
thing seems  to  be  falling  to  pieces." 

'^Dat  jest  how  it  is,  boss,"  the  man  answered; 
"■  ebryt'ing  done  fall  ter  pieces.  Pore  niggah,  he  don' 
have  no  time  ter  fix  up,  boss.  We  ain'  lak  you  w'ite 
folks  up  No'th,  boss." 

Street  after  street  of  these  one-story  and  apparently 
one-room  cabins  Hunt  walked  through,  meeting  great 
civility  everywhere,  and  seeing  poverty  and  shiftless- 


32  PINE  RIDGE  PLANTATION, 

ness  without  end.  Walls  were  tottering,  chimneys 
foiling,  fences  leaning,  and  a  majority  of  the  windows 
were  sashless.  But  the  people,  unkempt  as  they  were, 
were  as  merry  as  they  were  black,  and  ever  ready  for 
a  laugh. 

"  Tin  Cup  Alley  '^  he  read  on  a  sign  at  one  of  the 
corners,  and  there  he  turned  off,  thinking  it  time  to 
change  his  surroundings. 

"  Good  morning,^'  said  a  white  gentleman  whom  he 
soon  met,  and  politely  touched  his  hat ;  "  been  having 
a  look  at  Blackville?^'  "Good  morning,"  said  the 
druggist,  whose  store  he  soon  afterward  passed  in 
Middle  Street.  "  Are  you  a  stranger  in  New  Bern  ? 
I  hope  you'll  go  out  and  see  the  City  Cemetery,  and 
the  National  Cemetery,  Avhere  the  soldiers  are  buried. 
Do  you  know  anyone  in  New  Bern  ?'' 

"  I  know  Mr.  Burrus,  sir,''  Hunt  answered. 

"  Then  you  know  a  good  man,  and  you're  all 
right,"  the  druggist  said.  "  My  name  is  Davis. 
Don't  hesitate  to  come  to  me  when  you  want  to  find 
out  anything.     Live  far  away  from  here  ?" 

"  I  live  more  than  a  thousand  miles  from  here, 
sir,"  Hunt  answered  ;  "  but  everyone  is  so  polite  and 
obliging  in  New  Bern  it  makes  me  feel  as  if  I  had 
always  lived  here,  sir." 

In  continuing  his  walk  through  the  business  streets 
he  passed  a  very  large  brick  building  that  he  was  told 
was  the  Court  House,  and  another,  even  handsomer, 
that  he  learned  was  the  Post  Office.  After  a  time  he 
found  himself  at  the  end  of  another  long  wooden 


HUNT  BECOMES  A  NORTH  CAROLINIAN.      33 

l)riclge,  which  a  colored  man  whom  he  encountered 
told  him  was  the  Trent  River  bridge,  leading  over 
to  James  City.  The  Trent,  he  said,  was  a  little  more 
than  half  as  wide  as  the  Neuse,  and  he  crossed  the 
bridge  to  have  a  look  at  James  City,  which,  as  he  was 
told,  contained  nearly  three  thousand  inhabitants, 
everyone  colored,  and  all  living  in  cabins  in  narrow 
alleys. 

"  More  and  more  of  them  !"  he  said  to  himself,  as 
he  passed  cabin  after  cabin.  "  Wages  must  be  very 
low  down  here,  with  all  this  labor  unemployed,  so  it's 
a  good  thing  I  am  going  to  work  for  myself.  But  all 
these  colored  people  manage  to  live,  so  I  guess  I  can." 

When  he  recrossed  the  bridge  to  New  Bern  he  saw 
by  a  clock  in  a  jeweler's  window  that  it  was  nearly 
four,  and  he  turned  toward  the  office  of  Burrus  &  Gray. 

"  Well,  what  do  you  think  of  New  Bern  ?"  Mr. 
Burrus  asked  him,  when  he  entered  the  office. 

"  I  think  it  is  a  very  fine  place,  sir,"  Hunt  answered. 
"  But  I  never  saw  so  many  colored  people  in  my  life, 
and  I  am  afraid  that  where  there  is  work  to  do  they 
will  get  it  and  leave  me  without,  for  I  want  to  earn  a 
little  money  as  I  go  along." 

"  Don't  worry  your  mind  about  the  colored  people," 
Mr.  Burrus  laughed ;  "  they  are  not  looking  very  hard 
for  work.  To  tell  the  truth,  good  labor  is  hard  to  get 
here,  and  if  you  have  come  down  determined  to  work 
you  will  make  your  way  all  right.     Got  any  money  ?" 

Hunt's  first  impulse  was  to  reply  that  Mr.  Warren 
had  paid  him  thirty  dollars  out  of  his  little  hoard,  and 


34  PINE  RIDGE  PLANTATION. 

that  having  spent  about  ten  dollars  for  travelling  ex- 
penses, he  still  had  twenty  dollars  left,  with  the  privi- 
lege of  writing  to  Mr.  Warren  for  more,  if  necessary  ; 
but  on  second  thought  it  seemed  wiser  not  to  go  into 
these  details,  so  he  answered  : 

"  A  little,  sir ;  ])ut  I  want  to  earn  enough  to  pay 
my  way  from  the  start,  if  I  can,  and  save  a  little,  if 
possible,  for  I  am  only  a  poor  boy,  sir." 

"  That's  the  talk  !''  Mr.  Burrus  exclaimed  ;  ^^  we 
want  intelligent  labor  here,  and  I  want  some  of  it 
myself.  Go  up  to  my  house,  in  East  Front  Street, 
facing  the  Neuse  River  (anyone  will  show  you  where 
it  is),  and  go  through  into  the  back  yard,  where  you 
will  find  a  little  house  that  has  a  room  in  one  end 
stored  half-full  of  furniture,  and  a  woodshed  in  the 
other  end.  Back  of  the  woodshed  is  a  pile  of  fire- 
wood. If  you  want  to  earn  your  board  and  lodging 
till  you  get  acquainted,  split  up  the  wood  and  pile  it 
nicely  in  the  shed,  and  you  can  sleep  on  some  of  the 
furniture.  Between  times  you  can  deliver  orders  from 
the  store  for  me ;  and  as  you  will  want  some  solid 
cash,  my  son  will  give  you  work  in  the  cotton-gin 
house." 

In  this  way  Hunt  passed  his  first  two  weeks  in 
New  Bern,  splitting  w^ood,  delivering  goods,  and 
working  about  the  wonderful  cotton  gin,  where  he 
took  his  first  lessons  in  the  handling  of  cotton.  In 
that  time  he  had  earned  ten  dollars,  without  spending 
any  of  his  own  money.  Meanwhile  his  eyes  and  ears 
had  been  wide  open,  and  he  had  had  some  useful  talks 


UUJST  BECOMES  A  NORTH  CAROLINIAN.      35 

with  Mr.  Burrus  about  his  desire  to  set  up  for  a  small 
planter.  So  it  did  not  surprise  him  Avhen,  on  enter- 
ing the  office  one  morning,  he  was  greeted  with  : 

"  Well,  Hunt,  you  have  only  to  say  the  word  now, 
and  you  are  a  land  owner.  That  fellow  over  on  Brice 
Creek  is  willing  to  sell  the  five-acre  patch  for  ten  dol- 
lars. My  friend.  Lawyer  Pearsall,  has  examined  the 
title  for  me,  and  it  is  all  right.  It  is  wild  land,  of 
course,  with  some  timber  on  it,  and  not  extra  good, 
at  that  price,  but  you  can  bring  it  up  with  hard  work. 
The  owner  needs  the  money,  and  I  think  it  is  a 
bargain  at  ten  dollars.  You'd  better  go  out  and  ex- 
amine it  yourself  to-morrow  morning — walk  right  out 
through  James  City.  Then,  if  you  say  the  word,  the 
deed  is  done  and  you  are  a  North  Carolina  land  owner, 
for  I  owe  you  exactly  ten  dollars.  Five  acres  is  a 
small  farm,  but  it's  enough  for  a  beginning.'' 

"  Thank  you  very  much,  sir  !'^  Hunt  replied.  "  I 
will  examine  it  carefully  to-morrow,  and  see  about 
my  house,  for  my  idea  is  to  have  a  little  house  to  live 
in  as  soon  as  possible,  if  I  get  the  land." 

"  That  you  must  have,"  Mr.  Burrus  told  him,  "  and 
the  sooner  the  better,  and  be  sure  to  put  a  fireplace  in 
it,  for  the  cold  days  of  winter  will  soon  be  upon  us. 
We  are  in  the  ^  Sunny  South,'  but  we  need  fires  on 
cold  winter  days — no  such  cold  as  you  have  up  in 
Ontario  County,  of  course,  but  enough  to  make  you 
shiver." 

Hunt  set  out  bright  and  early  the  next  morning, 
crossing  the  bridge  to  James  City,  and  thence  striking 


36  PINE  RIDGE  PLANTATION. 

off  toward  Brice  Creek,  which  he  crossed  on  another 
bridge,  as  he  had  been  told  to  do.  The  six  miles 
seemed  short  to  him,  for  he  was  well  pleased  with  the 
appearance  of  the  country,  and  he  knew  that  a  con- 
siderable distance  from  the  city  was  one  of  the  penal- 
ties that  he  must  pay  for  buying  cheap  land. 

"  Here  we  are,"  he  said  to  himself,  when  he  reached 
the  five-acre  "patch,''  which  he  had  visited  before. 
"  From  the  great  pine  tree  to  the  bluff  by  the  creek, 
thence  following  the  creek  to  the  big  water  oak,  then 
inland  to  the  old  elm  with  the  limb  broken  off,  and 
then  back  to  the  pine.  Why,  I  get  quite  a  lot  of 
timber  if  I  buy  this,  not  large  timber,  but  good  for 
firewood,  and  that  means  a  lot  of  clearing  to  be  done." 

"  Hello,  here  !  young  man  !"  a  voice  called  to  him, 
and  there  sat  Mr.  Burrus  in  a  buggy,  with  a  white 
man  beside  him."  You  beat  me  here  after  all,  didn't 
you  ?  This  is  Mr.  Brock,  Hunt,  who  owns  the  land. 
I  brought  him  up  so  you  could  do  business  with  him, 
and  to  save  you  the  long  walk  back  to  town." 

"  Thank  you  very  much,  sir !"  Hunt  exclaimed ; 
and  in  five  minutes  the  three  were  walking  over  the 
land,  Hunt  examining  it  carefully. 

"  Yes,  it's  sandy,  of  course,"  Mr.  Burrus  admitted. 
"All  the  land  hereabouts  is  sandy.  But  look  at  this 
bluff  along  the  creek  !  isn't  that  a  fine  situation  ? 
And  here  is  water  in  plenty  in  the  creek,  for  your  own 
use  or  your  animals.  By  clearing  this  land  up  you 
can  make  it  just  as  good  as  you  like,  my  friend,  and 
I  don't  know  a  better  place  for  a  young  man  to  start." 


HUNT  BECOMES  A  NORTH  CAROLINIAN      37 

Hunt  was  more  than  satisfied  with  the  place,  for  he 
saw  what  he  could  make  of  it ;  and  the  money  was 
soon  paid  and  the  agreement  drawn  and  signed  that 
made  the  land  his  own. 

"Now,  we  are  square,  Hunt/'  Mr.  Burrus  told 
him,  "for  I  have  paid  the  ten  dollars  I  owed  you, 
and  you  are  a  North  Carolina  land  owner.  Good 
luck  to  you,  my  boy.  Here's  a  hatchet  and  saw  that 
I  brought  you  in  the  buggy,  for  you  will  need  them 
when  you  come  to  build  your  shanty.  For  to-night 
and  a  few  more  nights  till  you  get  something  up,  the 
people  in  any  of  these  cabins  w^ill  give  you  a  lodging 
for  a  small  consideration  " — and  he  nodded  his  head 
toward  the  three  or  four  cabins  in  sight.  "  They  are 
all  colored  people,  of  course,  but  that  is  no  matter. 
That  large  house  near  the  river  belongs  to  Mr.  Vin- 
cent, a  white  man,  and  you  will  find  him  a  good 
neighbor.     Now,  good  day,  Mr.  Planter." 

So  saying  he  drove  away,  taking  Mr.  Brock  with 
him,  but  leaving  the  hatchet  and  saw  behind. 

Hunt  felt  at  least  a  foot  taller  as  he  walked  over 
his  own  land,  examining  his  OAvn  trees  and  his  own 
soil. 

"  So  far  my  object  is  accomplished,"  he  said  to  him- 
self, "  for  I  have  my  little  place.  Now  to  make  the 
little  place  give  me  bread  and  butter ;  but  that  will  be 
a  work  of  time." 

"  Good  evening,  sir,"  said  a  voice  behind  him,  and 
turning  quickly  he  saw  a  white  man.  "  I  hear  you 
have  bought  this  five-acre  patch,"  the  gentleman  con- 


38  PINE  RIDGE  PLANTATION. 

tinned,  '^  and  are  going  to  put  up  a  cabin.  My  name 
is  Vincent,  and  that  is  my  house  over  yonder  by  the 
river.  I  bid  you  welcome  to  Brice  Creek,  young 
man,  and  I  shall  expect  to  see  you  at  my  house  every 
night  till  you  have  a  place  of  your  own  to  sleep  in. 
You'll  always  find  a  slice  of  bacon  there,  and  occa- 
sionally a  baked  potato." 

"  Thank  you  very  much,  sir  !"  Hunt  exclaimed. 
"  I  am  glad  that  I  have  come  among  such  kind  people 
to  live,  sir.'' 

When  he  looked  up  again  Mr.  Vincent  was  gone, 
but  he  continued  his  examination  of  the  trees,  and  sat 
down  upon  one  of  his  own  logs  to  rest.  At  last  he 
owned  a  bit  of  land,  and  the  task  of  converting  it  into 
a  farm  lay  before  him. 

"  To  be  sure,  it  is  no  great  feat  to  buy  a  little  tract 
of  land,"  he  said  to  himself,  "  Avhen  you  have  the 
money.  But  I  have  earned  the  money  to  buy  this 
since  I  came  here,  and  I  still  have  my  twenty  dollars 
in  my  pocket.  Such  a  fine  bluff  along  the  creek,"  he 
continued  his  silent  talk,  "and  so  green  w^th  the  big 
and  little  pines.  That  will  help  me  give  a  name  to 
the  place,  after  I  make  it  worthy  to  have  a  name." 


CHAPTER  ly. 

A   MODEST   HOME    IN   THE   SUNNY   SOUTH. 

Ten  days  after  his  purchase  of  the  land,  and  after 
the  deed  had  been  prepared  and  filed,  Hunt  stepped 
out  of  his  own  cabin  and  leaned  a  stick  against  the 
door  to  hold  it  open,  returning  then  to  the  fireplace 
that  he  had  built  with  his  own  hands,  where  he  was 
making  a  fire  to  test  the  draught  of  the  chimney  that 
he  had  also  built. 

As  he  bent  over  the  fireplace,  a  few  minutes  later, 
a  slight  noise  in  the  doorway  attracted  his  attention, 
and  turning  quickly  he  saw  there  a  genial-looking 
gentleman  with  gray  hair  and  a  gray  beard,  his 
smiling  face  reddened  by  exposure  to  the  North 
Carolina  sun.  Hunt  instantly  straightened  up  and 
stepped  toward  his  visitor. 

"  Hello,  here,  young  man,  and  is  this  where  you 
live  ?"  the  newcomer  asked.  "  Why  you  have  quite 
a  house  here,  I  declare,'^  he  continued  ;  "  didn't  build 
it  all  yourself,  did  you  ?" 

^^  Yes,  sir,"  Hunt  answered,  with  a  touch  of  par- 
donable pride  in  his  voice.  "  I  bought  the  land  a  few 
days  ago,  and  set  right  to  work  to  build  a  place  to 
live  in.'' 

"  You  don't  say  so  !"  the  visitor  exclaimed.     ^^  My 

39 


40  PINE  RIDGE  PLANTATION. 

friend  Burrus  told  me  about  you,  and  said  you  were 
going  to  put  up  some  sort  of  a  shanty,  but  I  had  no 
idea  you  could  build  as  good  a  little  house  as  this. 
Why,  you^ll  be  just  as  snug  here  as  if  you  had  a  brick 
mansion,  and  less  taxes  to  pay.  And  you've  got  one 
of  these  chimneys  built  of  sticks  and  clay,  too.  That 
must  have  bothered  you  to  build,  if  you  did  it  your- 
self, for  you  don't  have  chimneys  like  that  in  your 
country,  I  guess.     You're  a  New  York  boy,  I  hear." 

"  Yes,  sir,  I  am  from  Central  New  York  State," 
Hunt  answered,  "  and  I  was  a  little  afraid  about  the 
wooden  chimney  at  first,  for  fear  it  might  set  fire  to 
the  house.  But  I  examined  such  chimneys  on  other 
houses,  sir,  to  see  how  to  build  one,  because  I  wanted 
to  have  everything  in  regular  North  Carolina  style. 
It  was  not  hard  to  build,  sir,  and  it  is  so  well  daubed 
with  clay  both  inside  and  out  that  there  does  not 
seem  to  be  any  danger,  sir." 

"  Well  see  here,  you're  a  good  deal  of  a  genius,  it 
seems  to  me !"  the  gentleman  said,  with  a  smile. 
"And  I  see  you  have  a  little  lean-to  at  the  back  of 
the  house  to  store  your  firewood  in  and  keep  it  from 
the  weather.  That  looks  like  industry  and  thrift, 
young  man,  and  I  guess  you  are  going  to  make  your 
way,  over  here." 

"  I  am  going  to  try  my  best,  sir,"  Hunt  declared. 

"And  a  good  big  fireplace,  too,  well  daubed  Avith 
clay  like  the  chimney,"  the  visitor  exclaimed,  as  he 
stepped  up  and  examined  it.  "  Is  that  your  own 
invention  too  ?" 


A  MODEST  HOME  IN  THE  SUNNY  SOUTH.     41 

"  Yes,  sir,"  Hunt  replied.  "  I  was  going  to  build 
it  of  stones,  sir,  but  I  could  not  find  a  stone  as  big  as 
my  fist  on  the  place." 

"Not  much  like  the  New  York  land,  eh?"  the 
gentleman  asked. 

"No,  sir,  but  I  had  to  have  a  fireplace,"  Hunt 
went  on,  "  so  I  made  use  of  slabs,  and  filled  it  in  with 
about  a  foot  of  sand,  and  daubed  the  sides  thick  with 
clay,  sir,  like  the  chimney,  and  it  works  very  well, 
sir.  I  was  just  trying  the  draught  when  you  came, 
and  I  find  that  the  chimney  draws  finely,  sir." 

"  Yes,  but  that  is  ^  light  wood '  you  are  burning, 
and  ^ light  wood'  would  burn  in  an  iron  pot,"  the 
gentleman  said ;  "  I  suppose  you  know  the  difference 
between  ^  light  wood '  and  other  pine,  by  this  time  ?" 

"  Oh,  my  yes,  sir,"  Hunt  answered.  "  I  have  a 
good  stock  of  light  wood  laid  in  ready  for  use,  both 
here  in  the  corner  and  in  the  lean-to.  That  is  what 
we  call  ^  fat  pine '  in  the  North,  the  heart  or  knots  of 
a  pine  tree,  very  full  of  resin  and  turpentine,  and  I 
split  a  lot  of  it  because  it  is  my  light  at  night  as  well 
as  my  fuel  by  day,  sir.  It  looks  very  cheerful  and 
homelike  in  here  at  night,  sii',  when  I  have  the  doors 
and  shutters  hooked,  and  a  good  fire  of  light  wood 
burning  on  the  hearth.  Why,  it  makes  the  room  so 
light  that  I  can  see  to  read  by  it,  sir." 

"Ay,  I'll  warrant  you  can,"  the  visitor  exclaimed, 
as  he  stepped  up  closer  to  the  fireplace  and  warmed 
his  fingers ;  "  light  wood  is  fine  stuff,  my  boy,  for  a 
(]|^uick  fire  or  a  bright  blaze.     Some  day  you  will  have 


42  PINE  RIDGE  PLANTATION. 

candles  or  a  lamp,  I  suppose,  and  then  you'll  not  need 
to  build  up  a  fire." 

"  The  light  wood  gives  me  all  the  light  I  need,  sir/' 
Hunt  asserted,  "  and  it's  cheaper  than  candles  or  lamp. 
I  hear  that  some  of  the  richest  farmers  over  in  Hyde 
County  never  have  either  candles  or  lamps  in  their 
houses,  but  always  use  light  wood  for  lights,  because 
that  is  cheaper." 

"  So  they  do,  my  boy,"  the  gentleman  said,  with  a 
laugh.  '^  I  was  over  there  a  short  time  ago,  and  they 
were  going  to  send  me  to  bed  by  the  light  of  a  light 
wood  fire ;  but  they'd  forgotten  to  have  any  light  wood, 
so  I  went  to  bed  in  the  dark.  There  is  not  a  mile  of 
railroad  in  that  county,  I  suppose  you  know.  But  of 
course  you  know  it,"  he  continued.  ^' You  are  picking 
up  the  North  Carolina  ways  very  rapidly.  I'd  like  to 
see  you  here  some  evening  when  your  house  is  all 
bright  with  the  light  wood  fire." 

^^  'Sense  me,  gemmen,"  a  very  black  young  woman 
in  a  tattered  calico  dress  broke  in  before  Hunt  could 
answer  his  visitor's  last  remark,  she  having  walked  in 
noiselessly  mthout  the  formality  of  knocking  at  the 
door.  "  'Sense  me,  but  I  come  to  see  wedder  de 
young  gemman  done  got  some  washin'  he  like  fer  me 
to  do  fer  him  ?"  The  most  noticeable  thing  about  her 
was  a  small  brown  stick  Avhich  protruded  several 
inches  from  her  mouth,  and  which  she  chewed  upon 
constantly,  and  removed  from  her  mouth  several  times 
while  talking.  On  these  occasions  the  mouth  end  of 
the  stick  was  seen  to  be  chewed  into  a  sort  of  brush, 


A  MODEST  HOME  IN  THE  SUNNY  SOUTH.     43 

or  "  mop,"  as  it  is  locally  called ;  and  each  time  she 
removed  the  stick  from  her  mouth  she  took  a  tin 
tobacco  box  from  her  pocket  and  opened  it,  and  dipped 
the  "  mop ''  into  the  brown  powder  it  contained,  and 
rolled  it  about  in  the  powder,  returning  the  stick  again 
to  her  mouth  and  chewing  it  again  with  great  gusto, 
as  if  it  were  some  choice  morsel. 

"  What's  that  you've  got  in  your  mouth,  Dinah  ?" 
the  white  gentleman  asked. 

"  Dat  my  toofe  brush,  sah,''  the  girl  answered,  add- 
ing a  loud  ^'  yah,  yah,  yah,"  and  rubbing  the  "  mop  " 
against  her  teeth  as  if  it  had  been  indeed  a  tooth  brush. 

"No,  I  don't  have  much  washing  to  do,"  Hunt 
told  her,  "  and  when  I  have  any  soiled  clothes  to  be 
washed,  I  take  them  down  to  the  creek  and  wash 
them  myself." 

"  That  is  a  North  Carolina  custom  that  I  think  I 
shall  not  soon  learn,"  he  continued,  turning  to  his 
visitor,  after  the  woman  had  gone  out.  "  She  w^as 
Mipping  snuff,'  as  they  call  it,  sir.  She  chews  the 
end  of  the  stick  till  it  is  like  a  brush,  and  then  dips 
it  into  the  tobacco  box,  which  is  half  full  of  snuff.  It 
is  the  dirtiest  form  of  chewing  tobacco,  but  most  all 
the  colored  women  do  it,  sir." 

"  So  you  do  your  ow^n  washing,  do  you  ?"  the  visitor 
asked.  "  No  reason  why  you  shouldn't,  and  ironing 
too,  and  of  course  your  own  cooking.  I  see  you  have 
hooks  on  your  shutter  and  door,  and  I  noticed  a  good 
stout  staple  and  hasp  on  the  outside  of  the  door  when 
I  came  in,  so  you  can  lock  everything  up  tight  when 


44 


PINE  RIDGE  PLANTATION. 


you  go  away  for  the  day,  as  you  must  do  sometimes. 
That's  a  good  plan." 

'■^  Yes,  sir,''  Hunt  assented ;  "  they  say  it  isn't  neces- 
sary to  lock  a  door  in  this  country,  but  I  should  hardly 
feel  safe  to  go  away  and  leave  everything  standing 
open,  and  I  must  go  away  sometimes,  because  I  want  to 
go  to  work  whenever  I  can,  to  earn  some  money,  sir." 

"  Well,  you're  quite  a  carpenter,"  the  visitor  said, 
stepping  up  to  the  open  door.  "  I  see  you  have  used 
plenty  of  slabs  in  building  the  house,  and  some  good 
boards  for  your  doors  and  shutters  and  other  things. 
Floated  your  lumber  down  the  creek  from  one  of  the 
saw  mills,  I  suppose?" 

"  No,  sir,"  Hunt  replied ;  "  I  was  going  to  make  a 
little  raft  of  it  and  float  it  down,  sir,  but  I  found  that 
would  make  it  so  wet  that  I  could  not  well  work  it, 
so  I  got  a  colored  man  with  an  ox  cart  to  haul  me 
two  good  loads,  sir.  I  used  mostly  slabs,  sir,  because 
they  are  cheaper.  The  walls  and  roof  are  all  slabs, 
but  they  are  very  tight,  sir,  and  I  am  sure  they  can- 
not leak.  I  used  good  boards  for  the  floor,  sir,  and 
of  course  I  had  to  use  them  for  the  door  and  shutters 
and  shelves,  and — " 

"What's  this,  shelves?"  the  visitor  exclaimed, 
stepping  in  toward  the  fireplace  again.  "  Yes,  here 
you  have  some  shelves,  on  both  sides  of  the  chimney, 
as  sure  as  the  world.  They'll  come  very  handy  to 
you  when  you  go  to  housekeeping ;  and  here  are  nails 
in  the  wall  to  hang  your  clothes  on.  Why,  you're 
just  as  complete  as  possible.     But  here,  what's  this 


A  MODEST  HOME  IN  THE  SUNNY  SOUTH.     45 

thing  ?'^  he  coDtinued,  turning  to  a  little  platform  of 
boards  in  one  corner  of  the  room,  raised  about  two 
feet  above  the  floor,  and  supported  at  the  free  end  by 
a  joist  on  legs.  "  This  is  too  low  for  a  table,  what  is 
it  for  r' 

"  That  is  my  bed,  sir,"  Hunt  answered,  with  some 
pride,  as  he  stepped  up  to  it.  "  My  Hyde  County 
bed,  I  call  it,  because  I  hear  they  use  a  great  many 
of  this  kind  over  there.  It  is  a  very  comfortable  bed, 
too,  sir,"  he  went  on.  "  You  see  it  is  made  of  three 
wide  boards  each  seven  or  eight  feet  long,  sir.  This 
cleat  nailed  to  the  wall  holds  one  end  of  the  boards 
secure,  and  the  other  end  rests  on  the  joist.  As  there 
is  nothing  under  the  middle,  sir,  they  are  springy,  of 
course,  and  very  comfortable.  You'd  be  surprised  to 
see  how  comfortable  it  is,  sir." 

"  Well  that's  an  idea,  to  be  sure !"  the  gentleman 
exclaimed  as  he  sat  down  on  the  boards  and  threw 
himself  back,  thus  testing  both  their  strength  and 
springiness,  for  his  weight  was  considerable.  "  So 
this  is  a  Hyde  County  bed,  is  it?"  he  continued, 
jouncing  himself  up  and  down.  "  It's  a  good  bed, 
I'll  warrant  you.  But  I  have  become  so  interested 
in  your  house  that  I  am  wasting  the  day,  and  I  came 
over  here  on  a  little  matter  of  business.  My  name  is 
Chatfield,  and  I  am  from  the  North  too,  though  I 
have  been  spending  the  winter  in  New  Bern.  What 
is  your  name,  my  boy  ?" 

"Huntley  Robertson,  sir,"  Hunt  answered,  "and 
people  generally  call  me  Hunt." 


46 


PINE  RIDGE  PLANTATION, 


"  Wellj  come  outside  here  and  look  at  my  boat, 
Hunt,  down  in  the  creek.  I  brought  her  over  because 
as  soon  as  I  heard  about  you  I  thought  you  would 
need  a  boat  to  go  to  New  Bern  in,  and  maybe  I  could 
sell  her  to  you.^' 

Both  outside  now,  they  walked  down  to  the  bluif, 
Avhence  the  boat  could  be  seen  tied  to  the  shore  below. 

"  Look  at  that,  Hunt !''  Mr.  Chatfield  exclaimed, 
pointing  toward  the  pure  white  boat.  "  Isn't  she  a 
beauty  ?  You  cannot  see  her  stern  as  she  lies,  but 
her  name  is  the  Maria  Louise,  and  she's  just  the  sort 
of  boat  you  need,  to  carry  stuff  to  and  from  the  city. 
I  made  a  sort  of  a  trade  with  a  man  in  New  Bern,  so 
she  didn't  cost  me  very  much,  and  I  can  sell  her  to 
you  for  seven  dollars,  boat,  sail,  anchor,  cable,  cushions, 
and  all.  Don't  you  think  you  would  like  to  have 
such  a  boat  as  that  ?" 

"Yes,  sir,  I  should  like  it  very  much  indeed," 
Hunt  replied.  "  But  there  are  many  things  I  should 
like,  and  I  have  to  be  very  careful  of  my  money,  so 
I  must  ask  you  to  give  me  a  little  time  to  think  about 
it  before  I  give  you  a  definite  answer,  sir." 

"All  the  time  you  want,  my  boy,"  Mr.  Chatfield 
answered,  patting  him  kindly  on  the  shoulder.  "  I'll 
tell  you  what  I'll  do,  Hunt,"  he  went  on.  "  I'll  come 
over  here  again  to  see  you  to-morrow,  so  you  can  take 
all  night  to  think  it  over.  But  I  want  you  to  show 
me  the  rest  of  that  fine  little  house  of  yours  before  I 
leave  you  to-day." 

Hunt  was  more  than  willing  to  show  the  comforts 


A  MODEST  HOME  IN  THE  SUNNY  SOUTH.     47 

of  his  cabin,  and  they  were  soon  back  in  the  main 
room. 

"  What's  this !"  Mr.  Chatfield  exclaimed,  as  he 
threw  open  an  inner  door  near  the  foot  of  the  bed. 
"Another  room  back  here?" 

"  Yes,  sir,"  Hunt  answered,  "  I  had  to  have  two 
rooms,  because  my  sister  is  coming  down  as  soon  as 
I  get  well  started.  There  is  another  bed,  just  like 
mine,"  he  continued,  "  in  her  room,  and  some  shelves 
for  her.  But  I  can  sleep  in  this  other  room,  which 
will  be  our  kitchen  and  living  room.  There  are  two 
windows  in  her  room,  sir,  and  one  mndow  and  the 
door  in  the  other  room.  I  could  not  quite  manage 
glass  windows,  sir,  but  these  are  good  tight  shutters." 

"  You  have  done  nobly.  Hunt,"  Mr.  Chatfield  de- 
clared. "  Now  you  need  a  frying-pan  and  a  coffee 
pot  and  some  provisions  in  your  kitchen,  and  you  will 
have  a  jolly  little  home." 

"  Yes,  sir,  I  intend  to  get  those  things  next  time  I 
go  over  to  New  Bern,"  Hunt  replied. 

"  Well,  look  for  me  to-morrow,"  Mr.  Chatfield  said, 
taking  him  by  the  hand ;  and  in  a  moment  his  visitor 
was  gone. 

Although  the  November  days  were  growing  shorter 
there  was  still  an  interval  of  daylight  after  Hunt  was 
left  alone,  and  he  went  out  and  gathered  up  some 
more  firewood  that  he  had  cut,  for  he  knew  by  the 
chill  feel  of  the  air  that  he  should  need  a  fire  for 
warmth  that  evening,  and  the  wood  in  the  lean-to 
was  designed   for  use   in   winter,  and  must  not  be 


48 


PINE  RIDGE  PLANTATION. 


encroached  upon  except  when  necessary.  Then,  dark- 
ness having  come,  he  set  a  few  sticks  of  light  wood  to 
blazing  on  the  hearth,  and  took  from  his  pocket  a 
copy  of  a  Northern  daily  newspaper  that  had  fallen 
into  his  hands  in  some  unexpected  way  when  he  was 
last  in  New  Bern. 

"  Why,  really,  it^s  almost  new,"  he  said  to  himself 
as  he  opened  it  and  spread  it  smoothly  over  his 
knees,  "  it's  not  much  more  than  a  week  old,  and  that 
answers  me  just  as  well  down  here  as  if  it  had  been 
printed  this  morning.  It  reminds  me,  anyhow,  that 
I  must  have  a  fresh  newspaper  here  occasionally,  and 
a  few  books  when  I  can  get  them,  for  I  don't  want  to 
lose  track  of  everything  that  is  happening  in  the 
world.  A  frying-pan  and  a  strip  of  bacon  may  be 
ornaments  enough  for  a  Southern  negro's  cabin,  but  a 
white  fellow  from  the  North  should  have  the  smell 
of  printers'  ink  in  his  house  when  he  means  to  make 
something  of  himself." 

He  was  soon  much  interested  in  an  account  of  an 
early  "  cold  snap  "  in  Central  New  York,  in  which 
the  mercury  had  fallen  several  degrees  below  zero ; 
and  congratulated  himself  not  only  upon  being  in  a 
region  where  the  weather  would  permit  him  to  con- 
tinue his  "  clearing  up  "  of  his  land  through  the  entire 
winter,  but  also  upon  having  a  light  by  which  he 
could  easily  read  the  fine  print  of  the  daily  news- 
papers, without  the  expenditure  of  a  cent. 

Suddenly  he  became  aware  of  a  voice,  evidently 
a  man,  shouting  at  no  great  distance  outside,  and 


A  MODEST  HOME  IN  THE  SUNNY  SOUTH.     49 

straightening  up  and  listening,  he  made  out  a  plain 
"  Hello  !  Hello  in  the  cabin  there  !" 

When  he  sprang  up  he  laid  two  more  sticks  of 
light  wood  upon  the  fire,  to  renew  the  light,  and  then 
hearing  the  call  repeated  nearer  and  louder,  he  went 
to  the  door  and  opened  it. 

"  Why,  Mr.  Vincent !"  he  exclaimed  to  the  gentle- 
man who  was  approaching.  "  I  am  glad  to  see  you, 
sir.     Step  in  and  warm  yourself  by  the  fire." 

"Yes,  I  am  your  neighbor  Vincent,"  the  gentle- 
man replied,  as  he  stepped  in  and  seated  himself  on 
the  home-made  bench  that  Hunt  drew  up  before  the 
fire  for  them  both. 

"I  reckon  you  are  not  quite  used  yet  to  our 
Southern  way  of  going  up  to  a  country  house  at 
night,"  the  visitor  continued.  "  When  you  get  settled 
here  and  have  a  fence  around  your  door-yard,  as  no 
doubt  you  will  have,  you  will  likely  keep  a  dog  or 
two  to  watch  the  place,  as  most  people  in  the  country 
do,  and  then  anyone  who  comes  to  see  you  at  night 
will  stand  out  at  the  gate  and  call  to  you,  and  the 
dogs,  of  course,  will  set  up  a  howl,  and  you  will  go 
out  and  call  them  off  and  bring  the  visitor  in.  That's 
the  way  we  do  in  North  Carolina,  and  pretty  much 
all  over  the  South,"  he  continued.  "  It  is  not  well 
to  walk  right  up  to  the  door  of  a  country  house  and 
knock,  as  I  believe  you  do  in  the  North,  for  the  dogs 
are  likely  to  be  ugly  unless  their  master  is  called  out." 

"  I  am  so  glad  you  spoke  about  the  dogs,  Mr.  Vin- 
cent/' Hunt  hastened  to  say.     "I  get  a  little  lone- 

4 


50 


PINE  RIDGE  PLANTATION. 


some  here  sometimes,  sir,  and  I  have  often  wished  for 
my  dear  old  Rover  and  little  Buster.  Those  are  my 
two  dogs  up  in  Ontario  County,  sir,  both  fine  watch 
dogs ;  and  I  must  write  to  my  sister  to  bring  them 
with  her  when  she  comes  down." 

"  Yes,  you  will  need  dogs,"  Mr.  Vincent  assented ; 
'^  and  you  will  need  a  great  many  other  things  when 
you  get  your  little  farm  in  operation.  You  have  a 
good  comfortable  cabin  here,  and  I  am  glad  to  see 
you  so  well  situated  so  soon." 

"  I  thought  you  might  be  a  little  lonesome  here  at 
night,  at  first,  not  being  used  to  it,"  Mr.  Vincent  con- 
tinued, stepping  up  to  the  fire  and  rubbing  his  hands 
near  the  blaze,  ^^  and  I  want  you  to  know  that  you 
have  a  neighbor  near  by.  But  I  came  partly  on 
business,"  he  added,  "because  I  saw  Mr.  Chatfield 
come  up  the  creek  in  his  boat  to-day  and  tie  her  below 
the  bluff  here,  so  I  thought  maybe  you  might  be  talk- 
ing about  buying  her,  and  I  came  over  to  tell  you 
something  about  her." 

"Yes,  sir,  Mr.  Chatfield  offered  to  sell  her  to  me 
for  seven  dollars,  sir,  and  I  have  till  to-morrow  to 
make  up  my  mind  about  it,"  Hunt  replied.  "  I 
should  like  very  much  to  have  such  a  boat,  for  I 
think  I  could  make  a  little  money  out  of  it,  sir." 

"Ah,  I  was  sure  you  had  an  eye  to  business  if  you 
thought  of  buying  her !"  Mr.  Vincent  said,  with  a 
laugh,  "  for  you  always  look  at  the  business  end  of  a 
question.  Seven  dollars,  eh?  She's  a  bargain  at 
that  price.     I  know  the  boat  very  well,  and  she's 


A  MODEST  HOME  IN  THE  SUNNY  SOUTH.     51 

worth  fifteen  dollars  if  she's  worth  a  cent.  Mr.  Chat- 
field  got  her  just  for  a  little  sailing  and  fishing  for 
pleasure,  and  she's  tight  as  a  drum,  and  newly  painted. 
Just  the  sort  of  a  boat  you  are  going  to  need  here  to 
carry  your  stufiT  over  to  New  Bern  in  to  sell,  when 
you  get  anything  to  carry." 

"  I  have  something  now,  sir,"  Hunt  exclaimed. 
"  I  can  cut  a  good  deal  of  fireword  on  this  little  place, 
and  that  sells  in  New  Bern,  and  I  thought  perhaps  I 
could  carry  it  over  in  the  boat,  sir,  and  soon  make 
her  pay  for  herself.  I  am  very  much  obliged  to  you 
for  coming  over  to  tell  me  about  her,  sir." 

"You  have  the  right  idea  there,  my  boy,"  Mr. 
Vincent  asserted,  as  he  arose  and  stepped  toward  the 
door ;  "  you  need  something  right  now  to  fetch  and 
carry  for  you,  and  the  boat  will  do  it.  By  and  by 
you  will  need  a  critter  of  some  sort,  because  you  will 
have  plowing  to  do,  as  well  as  carrying.  A  mule 
would  cost  you  fifty  dollars  at  the  least,  but  you  can 
buy  an  ox  for  twenty-five,  and  an  ox  can  do  the  work. 
Now  good  night  to  you,  my  boy,"  he  added  as  he 
stepped  outside,  "and  a  good  night's  rest  on  that 
Hyde  County  bed  I  see  you  have  there  in  the  corner." 

"  Good  night,  sir,  and  thank  you  very  much  for 
coming  in,"  Hunt  answered;  and  he  closed  and 
hooked  the  door  and  put  several  sticks  of  hard  wood 
on  the  fire,  and  was  soon  in  the  full  enjoyment  of  the 
comforts  of  the  Hyde  County  bed. 


CHAPTER  V. 

THE   CARGO   OF   THE   MARIA    LOUISE. 

The  young  owner  of  the  cabin  on  the  bluff  on 
Brice  Creek  had  been  chopping  firewood  for  several 
hours,  and  for  some  domestic  purpose  had  returned  to 
the  house,  when  he  heard  a  long-drawn-out  shout, 
evidently  from  a  considerable  distance  away. 

"Hello-o-o  there,  in  the  cabin!  Hunt,  hello-o-o  !" 
were  the  words  that  he  made  out  when  he  listened 
carefully ;  and  opening  his  door  and  running  out  he 
recognized  the  voice,  though  the  owner  of  it  was  still 
invisible. 

"  Hello,  Mr.  Chatfield !"  he  called  in  reply  ;  ''  Vm 
coming,  sir !"  and,  so  saying,  he  ran  toward  the  edge 
of  the  bluff,  thinking  from  the  sound  of  the  voice  that 
Mr.  Chatfield  must  be  below  the  bluff,  on  the  creek. 

"  Come  down  here,  my  boy,  I  want  you  to  help 
me  carry  my  bundles,''  the  voice  resumed  when  he 
reached  the  edge  of  the  bluff,  so  that  he  was  visible 
from  below,  and  there  sure  enough  lay  the  Maria 
Louise,  again  tied  to  the  shore,  with  Mr.  Chatfield 
sitting  in  the  stern. 

"  Yes,  sir !''  Hunt  called  in  reply,  as  he  hurried 
a  few  steps  along  the  bluff  to  the  path  dow^n  to  the 
water;  "Pm  coming,  sir!"  and  as  he  sprang  down 

52 


THE  CARGO  OF  TEE  MARIA  LOUISE.        53 

the  steep  incline  he  noticed  that  the  inside  of  the  boat 
was  painted  a  delicate  light  green,  and  that  she  sat 
gracefully  upon  the  water. 

^'  Why,  she  has  a  centreboard,  hasn't  she  ?"  he  ex- 
claimed, when  he  reached  the  water's  edge ;  "  I  didn't 
notice  that  yesterday." 

"To  be  sure  she  has,"  Mr.  Chatfieid  replied,  tugging 
at  the  end  of  a  bag  that  lay  in  the  bottom  of  the  boat 
and  that  seemed  to  be  heavy.  "  I  forgot  to  mention 
that  yesterday,  or  the  two  pairs  of  oars,  or  the  rudder. 
But  she  is  all  complete,  and  everything  goes  with 
her — even  this  swivel  arm-chair  in  the  stern,  if  you 
want  it." 

"I'm  glad  to  hear  it,  sir,"  Hunt  continued,  as  he 
took  hold  of  the  bow  and  pulled  the  boat  in  with  her 
side  to  the  shore,  "  for  I've  concluded  to  buy  her,  sir, 
if  you  still  want  to  sell  her." 

"All  right,"  Mr.  Chatfieid  said,  "then  you'll  get  a 
good  boat.  But  1  want  you  to  help  carry  my  cargo 
up  to  the  house — these  two  or  three  bags  and  bundles ;" 
and  so  saying  he  lifted  up  a  well-filled  cofPee-sack, 
which  Hunt  shouldered. 

"I'll  tell  you  what  I'm  going  to  do.  Hunt,"  Mr. 
Chatfieid  continued,  reaching  for  some  paper  bags  in 
the  boat's  bottom.  "I'm  going  to  make  a  sort  of  a 
picnic  around  here  to-day,  and  walk  over  to  the  bluff 
on  the  Neuse,  and  then  walk  over  and  see  my  friend 
Vincent,  and  by  that  time  I'll  be  tired  and  hungry, 
and  I've  brought  some  stuiF  to  eat  in  these  bags  so 
that  you  can  get  me  up  a  little  supper  about  dark. 


54 


PINE  RIDGE  PLANTATION. 


But  liuld  on/'  he  added,  as  Hunt  showed  signs  of 
starting,  and  carefully  handed  out  a  large  brown  pail. 
*^  Don't  slam  the  pail  about,"  he  went  on,  ''  for  it  has 
a  lot  of  eggs  in  it,  and  some  other  breakables/' 

Hunt  ran  up  to  the  house  with  the  bag  and  pail, 
and  retnrned  for  another  bag,  and  then  for  another, 
and  on  the  last  trip  carried  up  also  a  large  basket, 
packed  full  of  bundles. 

"  That's  all,"  Mr.  Chatfield  said,  as  he  stepped  out 
of  the  boat.  "Now  you  unpack  all  this  stuflP,"  he 
continued,  when  they  were  both  in  the  house.  "  I 
guess  you'll  find  enough  here  to  make  a  supper  for 
both  of  us." 

"Why,  here's  a  ham,  sir!"  Hunt  exclaimed,  as  he 
pulled  a  paper-wrapped  lump  out  of  the  first  bag. 

"  Yes,  that's  a  pig  ham  from  Hyde  County,"  INIr. 
Chatfield  answered,  as  he  seated  himself  comfortably 
on  the  side  of  the  bed. 

"A  pig  ham,  sir?"  Hunt  exclaimed;  "ain't  all 
hams  made  of  pig,  sir?" 

"No,  they're  not,"  Mr.  Chatfield  laughed.  "Most 
hams  are  made  out  of  hog,  and  are  tough  and  coarse. 
But  a  pig  ham,  as  they  call  it  down  here,  is  made  of 
a  little  young  pig  a  few  months  old ;  and  you'll  find 
it's  as  sweet  and  tender  as  a  turkey." 

Hunt  stepped  out  and  returned  in  a  moment  from 
the  lean-to  with  a  home-made  table  in  his  hands,  for 
he  saw  that  the  contents  of  the  bags  and  basket  would 
more  than  fill  his  shelves. 

"Why,   here's  a  fine   bright   frying-pan,   with   a 


THE  CARGO   OF  THE  MARIA   LOUISE.         55 

cover  r  he  exclaimed  a  minute  later,  holding  it  up  to 
admire  it. 

"To  be  sure  there  is,"  Mr.  Chatfield  laughed; 
"how  could  you  cook  our  ham  to-night  without  a 
frying-pan  ?  Better  hang  that  up  on  one  of  the  nails, 
and  the  coffee-pot  too,  that  you'll  find  in  there  some- 
where." 

Here  the  visitor  sat  up  straight  on  the  bed  to  watch 
the  process  of  unpacking.  "  I  want  to  see  that  they 
put  in  everything  I  paid  for,"  he  said.  "  Yes,  that's 
right.  There  are  some  cheap  knives  and  forks  and 
spoons  in  those  little  packages,  and  in  the  longer  pack- 
age are  some  kitchen  knives  and  spoons,  for  cooking 
with.  Better  set  that  square  bundle  outside  in  the 
cool,  for  that's  butter.  Be  careful  of  that  big  paper 
bag,  that's  full  of  corn  meal.  The  other  big  paper  bag 
is  full  of  wheat  flour,  and  there's  another  one  there 
somewhere,  filled  with  hominy.  Four  or  five  round 
tins,  you  say  ?  That's  right,  they  are  condensed  milk. 
Look  out  for  the  teakettle  in  that  other  bag  with  the 
sweet  potatoes,"  he  continued.  "  You'll  find  a  half 
bushel  of  them  there,  and  they  are  prime  to  lay  in  the 
hot  ashes  and  bake." 

"  Careful !  careful !"  he  exclaimed,  as  Hunt  moved 
the  big  basket,  and  something  rattled.  "  A  few  plates 
and  dishes  in  there,  my  boy,  and  some  cups  and 
saucers.  Yes,  the  bundles  are  all  right ;  one  is  coffee, 
another  is  sugar,  and  there  should  b^  some  pepper 
and  salt  and  matches.  See  if  there  ain't  a  pile  of 
wooden    plates  down    in  the  bottom  of  the  basket? 


56  PINE  RIDGE  PLANTATION. 

Yes,  they're  there,  and  those  tin  pans  below  them  are 
for  cooking  with.  Now  look  out  for  the  eggs,  my 
boy,  or  you'll  have  an  omelet  before  you  want  it." 

"Why,  there's  enough  stuff  here  to  stock  a  big 
kitchen  !''  Hunt  exclaimed,  as  he  stepped  back  and 
surveyed  the  shelves  and  table,  all  covered  with  the 
new  treasures.  "  I'm  afraid  you'll  not  be  able  to  eat 
all  this  for  your  supper,  sir." 

"  I  hope  for  a  good  appetite,"  Mr.  Chatfield  an- 
swered, "  but  if  there  is  anything  left,  there  are  more 
days  to  come  after  this,  you  know,  and  you  must  help 
me  out  with  it.  There  ought  to  be  a  strip  of  bacon 
and  a  slab  of  fat  salt  pork  in  there  somewhere." 

"  Yes,  sir,  here  they  are  !"  Hunt  cried,  taking  them 
out  and  hanging  them  up. 

"  If  you  are  going  away  for  the  day,  sir,"  he  went 
on,  seating  himself  by  his  visitor,  "  perhaps  we  had 
better  finish  up  the  business  about  the  boat  now,  for 
I  have  made  up  my  mind  that  I  had  better  buy  her, 


sir. 


The  business  was  soon  finished  up  and  the  money 
paid,  and  the  Maria  Louise  became  Hunt's  property. 

"  I  think  you  had  better  bring  all  the  loose  stuff 
up  to  the  house,"  Mr.  Chatfield  advised,  "  or  some  of 
your  colored  neighbors  may  take  a  fancy  to  the  oars, 
sails,  cushions,  or  arm-chair.  You  Avill  find  those 
things  very  handy  in  the  house,  at  any  rate,  now  that 
they  all  belong  to  you." 

"  I  will  bring  them  up  at  once,  sir,"  Hunt  replied  ; 
and  when  Mr.  Chatfield  started  off  he  went  as  far  as 


THE  CARGO   OF  THE  MARIA  LOUISE.         57 

the  bluff  with  him,  and  was  soon  busy  carrying  loads 
to  the  house. 

"If  he  doesn't  have  a  good  supper  this  night," 
Hunt  said  to  himself  w^hen  he  was  again  alone  in  the 
house,  "  then  I  am  a  poorer  cook  than  I  think.  He 
shall  have  a  good  comfortable  seat,  too,  for  this  arm- 
chair that  has  had  its  legs  taken  out  will  go  nicely  on 
one  end  of  the  bench,  and  one  of  the  cushions  shall  go 
on  it.  But,  speaking  of  cushions,  I  declare  they're 
stuffed  with  cotton,  and  two  of  them  will  make 
beautiful  pillows  for  my  Hyde  County  bed." 

Inclination  would  have  kept  Hunt  in  the  cabin 
much  longer,  sorting  out  the  wonderful  stock  of  pro- 
visions ;  but  duty  called  him  outside  to  cut  firewood, 
now  that  he  had  a  means  of  taking  it  over  to  New 
Bern  for  sale,  and  the  hole  made  in  his  purse  by  the 
purchase  of  the  boat  he  was  eager  to  patch  up,  and 
with  him  duty  was  sure  to  take  precedence  over  incli- 
nation, so  he  kept  manfully  at  the  wood  cutting  and 
cleaving  till  the  deepening  twilight  warned  him  that 
it  was  time  to  prepare  for  the  entertainment  of  his 
expected  guest. 

"  It's  getting  late,"  he  said  to  himself  as  he  hooked 
the  door,  "  but  he  will  be  sure  to  be  here.  I  don't 
believe  that  Mr.  Chatfield  is  the  man  to  disappoint 
me  when  he  said  he  would  come." 

Though  there  were  no  stones  on  his  land,  some 
good  genius,  probably  with  a  black  skin,  had  left 
about  the  half  of  an  old  brick  there,  and  this  Hunt 
had  picked  up  and  carried  in  earlier  in  the  day.     He 


58  PINE  RIDGE  PLANTATION. 

now  opened  the  longer  bundle  of  knives  and  spoons ; 
and  taking  out  a  long  "  butcher  "  knife  with  a  wooden 
handle,  sharpened  it  well  upon  the  piece  of  brick. 
Before  it  was  too  dark  to  find  the  path  down  the  bluff 
he  carried  the  brown  pail  down  to  the  creek,  and  took 
it  back  full  of  good  clean  water.  Then  he  took  the 
dishes  out  of  the  basket  and  arranged  them  neatly  on 
his  shelves,  and  untied  the  package  containing  the 
knives  and  forks  and  spoons  for  the  table,  after  which 
he  set  the  table  carefully  for  two,  as  he  well  knew 
how  to  do  from  his  long  practice  at  it  on  the  Warren 
farm.  These  things  done,  he  would  have  been  more 
than  human  if  he  could  have  resisted  the  temptation 
to  look  once  more  over  the  eatables,  and  consider 
what  he  should  prepare  for  his  first  guest  in  his  own 
house. 

Suddenly  he  slapped  one  hand  loud  upon  his  leg, 
as  if  an  inspiration  had  come. 

"  Those  ashes  are  just  hot  enough  to  bake  a  sweet 
potato  nicely,''  he  said  to  himself,  "  and  I'm  sure  Mr. 
Chatfield  would  like  one  or  two,  and  I'll  do  one  for 
myself." 

This  done,  he  filled  the  new  teakettle  and  stood  it 
over  one  side  of  the  fire,  taking  care  to  lay  on  two  or 
three  small  pieces  of  light- wood  to  illuminate  the  room, 
for  night  had  now  come. 

"  Hello  Hunt !  Hello  in  there !"  he  heard,  and 
then  two  or  three  loud  thumps  upon  the  door,  which 
he  unhooked  and  threw  open,  the  door  almost  grazing 
the  outstretched  hand  of  Mr.  Chatfield. 


THE  CARGO  OF  THE  MARIA  LOUISE.         59 

..J 

*^  Why,  Mr.  Chatfield  !''  he  exclaimerl ;  you  are  late, 
and  I  was  afraid  you  were  not  coming.'' 

"  Oh,  I  am  coming,  never  fear,"  the  visitor  an- 
swered. "  I  have  had  a  long  hard  tramp,  and  I  am 
tired  and  hungry.  I  hope  you  are  a  pretty  fair  cook. 
Hunt,  for  I  am  famishing.''  ^ 

^^  Come  right  in,  sir,"  Hunt  replied ;  "  here  is  the 
arm-chair  all  ready  for  you,  with  the  cushion  in  it, 
and  you  shall  soon  have  something  to  eat." 

"  AVell,  I  declare.  Hunt,  this  looks  like  living," 
Mr.  Chatfield  exclaimed,  as  he  seated  himself  in  the 
chair,  and  leaned  comfortably  back.  "  *  The  Hyde 
County  incandescent,'  I  suppose  you  must  call  that 
light-wood  blaze,  but  it  makes  a  remarkably  cheerful 
light.  All  we  need  now  is  the  perfume  of  some 
supper  cooking,  to  make  this  house  fit  for  any  king, 
and  much  too  good  for  most  kings.  What  are  you 
going  to  give  us  to  eat,  my  boy  ?" 

"  I  thought  that  some  of  the  pig  ham  fried  and 
some  eggs  poached  with  it  would  make  a  very  good 
basis,  sir,"  Hunt  answered,  "with  some  coifee,  of 
course,  and  I  have  some  sw^eet  potatoes  baked." 

"  That  will  be  capital !"  Mr.  Chatfield  declared ; 
"  but  I  have  made  a  botch  of  our  banquet  after  all, 
for  I  ought  to  have  brought  some  crackers  or  a  loaf 
of  bread,"  he  added,  giving  the  broad  arm  of  the  chair 
a  hearty  slap,  "  but  I  forgot  all  about  them." 

"No  matter,  sir,"  said  Hunt,  as  he  took  up  the 
sharp  knife  with  which  he  intended  to  slice  the  ham, 
"  for  it  won't  take  me  long  to  make  a  pan  of  ^  spoon 


60  PINE  RIDGE  PLANTATION. 

bread.'  That  is  one  of  the  best  of  the  North  Carolina 
dishes,  and  I  have  learned  how  to  make  it  since  I 
came  down.  Oh,  good  !''  he  added,  "  here  are  several 
tins  of  baking-powder.  I  didn't  see  these  this  morn- 
mg.'' 

"  Then  go  right  ahead,  Mr.  Cook,''  Mr.  Chatfield 
said,  half  closing  his  eyes  to  rest,  "  and  don't  waste 
any  time  about  it,  for  I  am  nearly  starved.  But  first 
let  me  hear  how  you  make  the  ^  spoon  bread,'  for  that 
is  a  dish  I  am  very  fond  of." 

"It  is  easily  made,  sir,"  Hunt  answered,  taking 
from  his  pocket  a  small  slip  of  paper  upon  which  he 
had  written  the  recipe.  "  I  have  only  to  beat  up  four 
eggs,  beating  the  whites  and  yelks  separately,  and  add 
them  to  a  cup  of  cooked  hominy  (I  have  some  cooked 
hominy  left  from  breakfast,  sir),  and  then  take  four 
tablespoonfuls  of  corn  meal,  a  pint  of  milk  (which  I 
can  easily  make  from  condensed  milk),  and  add  a  tea- 
spoonful  of  sugar,  the  same  of  salt,  and  the  same  of 
baking-powder,  and  a  tablespoonful  of  butter,  and  after 
mixing,  bake  it  in  a  covered  pan  over  the  hot  coals." 

"  Correct,  my  boy  !  Now  go  ahead  !"  Mr.  Chat- 
field  exclaimed  with  a  start,  for  he  had  been  snatching 
forty  winks  of  sleep. 

Hunt  soon  had  the  coffee  boiling  fragrantly,  four 
slices  of  the  pig  ham  sputtering  in  the  frying-pan, 
four  eggs  poaching  to  a  turn,  and  the  pan  of  "  spoon 
bread  "  baking  at  one  side  of  the  fire. 

"  Here  we  are,  sir,"  he  said  a  few  minutes  later, 
as  he  set  the  steaming  viands  upon  the  table. 


THE  CARGO   OF  THE  3IARIA  LOUISE.         61 

"Ah,  you  are  fit  to  cook  for  the  President,  Hunt/' 
Mr.  Chatfield  declared,  now  fully  awake.  "  Turn  the 
table  right  around,  so  that  you  can  sit  on  the  bed 
while  I  sit  in  the  chair.  Now  draw  up  and  fall  to, 
my  boy,  as  we  say  up  in  New  England.'' 

Hunt  first  stepped  out  to  bring  in  the  butter,  and 
they  were  both  soon  in  the  full  enjoyment  of  the 
savory  repast.  The  pig  ham  was  sweet  and  tender, 
the  coflPee  was  excellent,  and  the  "  spoon  bread  "  good 
beyond  criticism.  "  Fine  as  the  fare  is  over  at  Mr. 
Burrus's,  where  I  live,"  Mr.  Chatfield  declared,  "  this 
is  the  jolliest  meal  I  have  eaten  in  North  Carolina." 

"  Thank  you,  sir,"  Hunt  replied,  helping  them  each 
to  another  poached  egg  and  a  smoking  baked  sweet 
potato. 

The  visitor  was  blessed  with  a  fine  appetite  after 
bis  long  walk,  and  his  share  of  everj^thing  had  disap- 
peared before  he  paused  for  any  extended  conversation. 

"  Now  put  a  little  more  light-wood  on  the  fire,  and 
tell  me  about  yourself,  my  boy,  what  you  intend  to 
do  with  this  place  and  what  you  hope  for  in  the 
future,"  he  said  at  length. 

"  What  I  first  want  is  to  make  a  living,  sir,"  Hunt 
answered,  when  the  fresh  light-wood  blazed  up,  and 
helping  himself  to  more  of  the  "spoon  bread"  and 
another  cup  of  coffee.  "  A  living  and  a  home  for  my 
sister  and  myself." 

"  The  home  you  have  all  right,"  Mr.  Chatfield 
interrupted,  "  so  tell  me  about  the  living." 

"  The  living  is  all  right  too,  sir,"  Hunt  went  on, 


62 


PINE  RIDGE  PLANTATION. 


"  for  I  am  not  afraid  of  work.  There  is  plenty  of 
work  about  here  for  anyone  who  is  willing  to  do  it, 
and  I  can  have  work  nearly  all  the  time  in  the  cotton- 
gin  house,  or  in  one  of  the  saw-mills,  or  for  Mr.  Vin- 
cent, who  has  a  big  truck  farm  and  wants  help. 
Then  I  have  firewood  to  sell,  sir,"  he  continued, 
"  and  those  things  will  keep  me  in  ready  money  till  I 
get  my  sister  down  and  have  some  crops  for  sale.  I 
have  five  acres  of  land,  you  know,  sir,  so  I  can  raise 
anyhow  two  bales  of  cotton  a  year,  besides  some  corn 
for  my  stock.  I  must  have  an  ox  to  plow  with,  and 
I  want  a  stock  of  poultry,  and  a  lot  of  pigs,  and  a 
smoke-house  kept  full  of  smoked  pork.  You  see  I 
want  to  turn  this  land  into  a  little  plantation,  sir,  and 
of  course  I  must  have  a  good  vegetable  garden.'' 

"  Hunt,  my  boy,  you  have  the  right  idea !"  Mr. 
Chatfield  declared,  seizing  him  by  the  hand.  "  In 
less  than  five  years  you  will  be  a  prosperous  North 
Carolina  planter,  my  boy,  and  an  independent  man. 
Now  I  must  leave  you,  for  I  must  walk  back  to  New 
Bern  to-night,  tired  as  I  am.'' 

"  Oh,  no,  sir  !"  Hunt  exclaimed.  "It  is  a  beauti- 
ful moonlight  night,  and  I  am  going  to  run  you  down 
to  the  city  in  the  Maria  Louise." 

Mr.  Chatfield  protested  against  this,  but  in  a  mo- 
ment Hunt  was  out  of  the  door  with  both  oars  on  his 
shoulders,  and  his  determination  carried  the  day,  or 
the  night  rather,  and  the  Maria  Louise  with  her  two 
passengers  was  soon  on  her  way  down  the  river  Trent 
to  New  Bern  under  the  moonlight. 


THE  CARGO   OF  THE  MARIA   LOUISE.         63 

When  Hunt  again  reached  his  home,  the  sun  was 
shining,  and  he  wrote  a  lead-pencil  draft  of  a  short 
l)ut  important  letter  that  he  intended  to  rewrite  and 
send  to  his  sister. 


CHAPTER  VI. 

THE    "patch"    GKADUALLY    BECOMES    A    PLANTA- 
TION. 

That  letter,  carefully  written  by  Hunt  with  pencil 
in  the  early  morning,  was  the  one  that  Mary  Robert- 
son waited  long  and  anxiously  for,  but  she  had  yet 
more  waiting  to  do.  Sometimes  thoughtless  people 
said  to  her : 

"  Oh,  you're  not  going  to  hear  from  your  brother. 
If  he  has  made  an  opening  for  himself  down  South, 
he  will  leave  you  here,  where  he  knows  you  are  in 
good  hands.'' 

"  I  shall  never  be  in  good  hands  till  I  am  with 
him,"  she  answered  to  such  speeches  as  that,  "  for  he 
needs  me  and  I  need  him.  I  guess  you  don't  know 
Hunt,  if  you  think  he  would  go  away  from  me  and 
not  send  for  me." 

"  '  Not  going  to  hear  from  my  brother'  ! "  she  once 
indignantly  exclaimed,  when  such  a  thing  was  said  to 
her ;  and  struggled  hard  to  keep  back  the  tears,  and 
felt  doubly  hurt,  for  a  little  letter  from  him  was  at 
that  minute  in  her  pocket — not  v  the  important  one, 
for  that  was  not  yet  written  in  ink ;  but  any  letter 
from  her  brother  was  more  precious  than  gold. 

64 


THE  "PATCH"  BECOMES  A  PLANTATION.    65 

"  Indeed,  then,  you  are  very  much  mistaken,  for  I 
heard  from  him  yesterday  !"  she  retorted.  "  He  said 
so  much  about  dear  Kttle  Buster  that  I  have  begun  to 
save  my  money  to  buy  a  basket  or  something,  to  take 
him  down  with  me,  when  Hunt  sends  for  me.  You 
know  Mr.  Warren  gave  him  to  both  of  us,  though  he 
has  always  lived  with  me,  and  he  is  the  dearest  little 
doggy  in  the  world.  You  just  ought  to  have  seen  him 
lick  my  hands  and  face,  and  lay  his  ears  back,  when 
I  told  him  Hunt  was  wishing  for  him  in  the  new 
home." 

"  And  Rover  ?''  she  continued.  "  Rover  did  be- 
long to  Mr.  Warren,  of  course,  but  he  was  given  to 
Hunt  long  ago,  and  he  knows  that  he  is  soon  to  go  to 
his  dear  young  master.  I  wish  you  could  have  seen 
that  big  setter  climb  into  my  lap  and  lay  his  head  on 
my  shoulder  and  shut  his  eyes,  when  I  went  over  to 
the  Warren  farm  this  morning,  and  told  him  that 
Hunt  sent  his  love  to  him,  and  said  he  was  a  dear 
old  doggy." 

"  Yes,  dogs  are  all  the  better  for  a  switch  some- 
times !"  her  mistress  snapped ;  for  it  was  her  mistress 
to  whom  she  said  this.  "  So  are  girls,"  she  added, 
"  and  you^d  better  stay  at  home  and  attend  to  your 
work,  miss,  or  I'll  have  some  business  with  you." 

^'  Oh,  I  am  so  glad  that  Hunt  is  fond  of  dogs  !" 
Mary  replied,  rather  quickly,  determined  not  to  let 
her  mistress  see  how  the  sharp  words  had  cut  her. 
'^  For  I  am  fond  of  them,  too,  and  Hunt  and  I  are 
chums.     Oh,  yes,  ma'am.  Hunt  will  send  for  me,  if 

5 


66  PINE  RIDGE  PLANTATION. 

he  is  alive.'^  Then  her  eyes  did  fill  with  tears,  and 
she  could  not  help  it. 

Many  changes  were  made  on  the  shore  of  Brice 
Creek  while  Hunt  carried  that  pencil  draft  of  a  letter 
in  his  pocket,  deliberating  whether  he  had  better  send 
the  letter  yet. 

"  I  feel  as  if  it  was  selfish  in  me  to  be  enjoying  this 
fine  little  home  all  by  myself,  instead  of  sending  at 
once  for  Mary,"  he  often  said  to  himself. 

"  And  yet  it  cannot  be  selfishness,"  he  always  con- 
cluded, '^  because  there  is  nothing  I  want  so  much  in 
the  world  as  to  have  Mary  here,  and  dear  old  Rover 
and  little  Buster.  Why,  it  will  be  like  a  new  world 
for  me  when  they  come,  and  I  really  need  them.  But 
I  want  to  have  things  a  little  more  ready  for  Mary 
when  she  comes." 

That  was  the  secret  of  his  delay,  and  all  his  hard 
work  was  a  pleasure  because  it  helped  him  to  have 
things  "  a  little  more  ready  for  Mary." 

In  the  weeks  that  followed  he  had  scarcely  an  idle 
moment,  while  late  in  the  fall  was  changing  into  the 
depth  of  winter.  Continuing  his  almost  daily  work 
about  the  cotton-gin,  and  in  the  saw-mill  up  the  creek, 
and  for  Mr.  Vincent  on  his  truck  farm,  he  still  found 
time  to  continue  the  conversion  of  his  "patch  "  into  a 
small  cotton  plantation.  This  meant  many  days  of 
hard  work  for  him,  some  of  which  in  January  were  so 
cold  that  his  ears  and  fingers  tingled,  and  once  there 
was  a  little  glaze  of  ice  along  the  borders  of  the  creek, 
and  one  night  there  was  just  a  suspicion  of  a  flutter 


THE  "PATCH''   BECOMES  A   PLANTATION.     67 

of  snow,  though  nearly  every  chilly  day  was  followed 
by  a  warm  and  pleasant  one ;  and  no  day  was  wintry 
enough  to  hinder  his  out-door  work. 

The  land  had  to  be  cleared  and  made  ready  for 
cultivation  in  the  spring,  which  meant  the  cutting 
down  of  whatever  large  or  small  trees  stood  in  the 
way ;  and  the  wood  resulting  from  this  chopping  had 
to  be  cut  to  a  size  suitable  for  burning,  and  then  had 
to  be  taken  over  to  New  Bern  in  the  boat  and  sold, 
which  was  a  work  of  time,  though  often  of  night  time. 
He  soon  found  that  a  quarter  of  a  cord  was  the  usual 
size  of  a  load  in  the  city,  and  the  load  best  adapted  to 
his  boat.  For  that  much  wood  he  could  get  from 
sixty  to  seventy-five  cents,  ten  cents  of  which  he  paid 
to  the  colored  cartman  who  delivered  it,  for  he  could 
not  take  the  boat  up  into  the  streets  ;  but  he  went  him- 
self, calling  at  various  houses,  and  selling  the  wood 
and  seeing  to  its  delivery,  not  forgetting  to  collect  the 
money. 

This  little  drain  of  ten  cents  a  load  for  the  delivery 
he  was  presently  able  to  put  a  stop  to,  for  he  became 
the  owner  of  an  ox  and  cart,  and  did  his  own  deliv- 
ering. 

"An  ox  ?'  the  idea  of  driving  a  single  ox  seemed 
very  comical  to  him,  when  he  learned  that  Mr.  Vin- 
cent had  one  for  sale,  for  he  had  always  seen  and 
heard  of  a  yoke  of  oxen.  But  he  should  soon  need  an 
ox  for  plowing  with,  and  with  the  ox  went  a  good 
solid  cart,  and  a  plow  somewhat  the  worse  for  wear, 
but  still  serviceable. 


68  PINE  RIDGE  PLANTATION, 


i( 


He  is  a  good  critter,  my  ox  Bob,  and  very 
gentle/^  Mr.  Vincent  told  him ;  but  Hunt  had  not 
much  faith  in  the  gentleness  when  Bob  chased  him 
through  the  woods  on  the  day  of  the  purchase.  Thirty 
dollars  at  any  rate  was  cheap  for  'Hhe  entire  outfit/' 
as  Mr.  Vincent  called  the  ox,  cart,  plow,  and  harness ; 
and  Bob  was  the  perfection  of  slowness  and  delibera- 
tion when  between  the  shafts.  So  much  work  Hunt 
had  done  for  Mr.  Vincent  on  the  truck  farm,  that  he 
had  only  five  dollars  in  cash  to  pay. 

Dull  as  he  was.  Bob  was  at  least  a  living  creature^ 
and  Hunt  took  great  pleasure  in  his  company.  His 
coming,  too,  made  several  quick  improvements  neces- 
sary, that  greatly  enhanced  the  appearance  of  the 
"  patch.''  On  one  side,  the  creek  was  as  sure  a  pro- 
tection as  any  fence  could  have  been,  but  Hunt  soon 
thought  it  better  to  build  a  substantial  fence  about  the 
other  three  sides.  The  posts  he  cut  from  his  own 
timber  and  set  solidly  in  the  ground,  and  by  nailing 
long  slabs  from  post  to  post,  one  at  top  and  one  at 
bottom,  he  soon  had  his  place  securely  enclosed. 

But  Bob  also  required  a  house,  to  protect  him  and 
his  trappings  from  rain,  and  his  residence,  built  without 
delay,  was  only  the  first  of  a  home-like  collection  of 
out-buildings. 

"  The  North  Carolina  barn  is  not  handsome," 
Hunt  said  to  himself,  "  but  it  is  cheap,  and  easily  built.'' 
The  walls  were  of  trunks  of  small  trees  and  limbs 
of  larger  ones,  laid  one  upon  another  something  in 
the  manner  of  a  loosely-built  log  cabin,  and  the  roof 


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TEE  ''PATCH''   BECOMES  A  PLANTATION.    69 

was  of  slabs.  Crude  as  it  was,  Bob  stood  very  con- 
tentedly upon  its  floor  of  earth. 

This  was  only  the  beginning,  however,  of  many 
improvements  that  went  far  toward  taking  away  the 
"  back  lot ''  air,  and  giving  the  more  cheerful  appear- 
ance of  a  young  plantation. 

With  a  house  for  the  ox,  Hunt  set  to  work  to  provide 
one  for  the  stock  of  poultry  tliat  he  intended  to 
establish.  His  poultry  house  required  a  roof  over 
only  a  small  part  of  it,  and  that  more  for  the  protec- 
tion of  the  coming  feed  and  nests  than  of  the  chickens 
or  turkeys. 

"  There  will  be  many  a  good  meal  for  us,"  he  re- 
flected, "  in  the  chickens,  ducks,  and  turkeys  that 
I  hope  to  have,  and  their  eggs.'^  But  about  this  time 
the  necessary  purchase  of  more  salt  pork  set  him 
to  thinking  about  larger  stock  than  poultry. 

"  I  can't  help  buying  a  little  pork  in  the  beginning,'' 
he  said,  as  he  sallied  forth  with  his  hatchet.  "  But  it 
would  be  disgraceful  for  me  to  be  buying  it  after  I 
have  been  here  long  enough  to  make  a  start.  Instead 
of  buying  it  I  must  have  it  to  sell,  and  that's  what 
I  intend  to  do ;  and  to  grow  pork  I  must  have  a 
pigpen,  and  here  goes  for  the  pigpen. 

By  the  next  evening  a  large  and  substantial  pen  w^as 
built  for  the  pigs  that  had  not  yet  arrived,  at  a  proper 
distance  from  the  house.  Then  the  next  step  was 
to  make  a  '^  door-yard "  by  erecting  a  strong  and 
close  fence  around  the  house,  with  one  large  and  one 
small  gate  in  it,  and  at  a  sufiicient  distance  on  all  sides 


70  PIj^E  niDGE  PLANTATION. 

to  make  room  not  only  for  a  vegetable  garden  of 
generous  proportions,  but  also  to  give  space  for  another 
building  that  he  intended  to  erect. 

That  other  building  took  much  of  Hunt's  atten- 
tion for  several  days.  When  he  next  went  to  New 
Bern  with  wood  he  returned  with  a  bottle  of  ink  and 
other  writing  materials  in  his  pockets,  and  with  a 
large  pair  of  strap  hinges,  a  strong  hasp  and  staple, 
a  padlock  that  looked  large  enough  and  strong  enough 
for  a  jail,  and  a  bundle  of  nails. 

It  was  on  account  of  this  other  building  that  he 
harnessed  Bob  to  the  cart,  and  went  to  the  saw-mill  up 
the  creek  and  returned  with  a  load  of  slabs  and  some 
three-by-four  joists.  The  new  building  proved  to  be 
nearly  as  large  as  the  original  house,  but  somewhat 
higher  and  with  no  floor  but  the  earth  ;  and  long  poles 
reached  across  from  side  to  side  high  up  under  the 
roof,  about  where  the  ceiling  would  have  been  if  the 
plan  had  included  a  ceiling,  which  it  did  not. 

"  There,  nobody  can  see  either  in  or  out,  for  I  have 
covered  every  hole  and  crack,"  he  reflected,  as  he  sur- 
veyed his  nearly  finished  work.  "  This  table  inside 
will  do  for  my  poor  convict's  bed,  and  I  am  sure  he 
cannot  get  out  when  I  have  the  big  padlock  on." 

But  this  was  only  a  whimsical  fancy  of  Hunt's,  to 
help  keep  him  merry  while  he  labored ;  for  his  new 
building  was  not  a  jail,  but  a  smoke-house,  made 
strong  not  to  keep  people  in,  but  to  keep  intruders 
out ;  and  the  strong  table  inside  was  to  cut  and  salt 
the  pork  upon. 


THE  ''PATCH''   BECOMES  A  PLANTATION.    71 

The  smoke-house  was  completely  finished  within 
a  week,  although  its  young  builder  was  away  for 
several  days,  earning  a  little  money  on  Mr.  Vincent's 
farm.  At  his  first  good  opportunity  he  stood  upon 
the  bluif,  and  surveyed  his  settlement  with  great 
satisfaction,  counting  the  little  buildings  upon  his 
fingers. 

"  There's  my  house,  that's  one ;"  he  counted.  "  And 
the  smoke-house  is  two,  and  Bob's  barn  is  three,  and 
the  poultry  house  is  four,  and  the  pigpen  is  five. 
None  of  them  likely  to  start  a  new  style  in  architecture, 
I  reckon,  but  all  very  useful.  And  my  bit  of  a  farm 
is  cleared  and  fenced,  and  the  house  has  a  good  door- 
yard  and  a  place  for  a  garden.  Now  what  I  need 
next  is  a  woman  here  to  help  make  home  happy ;  and 
the  only  reason  my  best  girl  isn't  here  is  because  I 
haven't  sent  for  her,  and  I  think  the  time  to  send  for 
Mary  has  come,  for  now  I  can  make  her  comfort- 
able, and  I  am  sure  she  will  enjoy  being  in  our  own 
home." 

The  kitchen  table  was  soon  cleared  off,  and  the 
bottle  of  ink  was  produced,  and  some  sheets  of  paper 
and  other  materials  necessary  for  the  making  of  a 
letter. 

"  This  is  the  fifth  of  February,"  the  young  planter 
said,  reflectively,  and  after  making  several  false  starts, 
for  it  was  harder  work  for  him  to  write  than  to  chop 
wood  ;  "  and  winter,  according  to  the  almanac,"  he  con- 
tinued, '^  but  spring  according  to  to-day's  warm  sun. 
And  it  is  a  happy  day  for  Hunt  Robertson,  when  he 


72  PINE  RIDGE  PLANTATION. 

can  look  forward  to  having  Mary  here,  and  good  old 
Rover  and  Buster,  and  a  good  home  for  them  all.'^ 

"  Dear  Mary,  I  want  you  to  come  home,''  he  wrote, 
at  length.  "  The  home  is  ready  for  you,  with  its  five 
buildings ;  none  of  them  very  large  or  handsome, 
but  all  my  own — and  yours.  And  your  brother  is 
more  than  ready  for  you,  he  is  anxious  for  you,  dear 
Mary. 

"  Take  this  letter  over  to  Mr.  Warren's  and  show 
it  to  him,  and  he  will  hand  you  twenty-five  dollars  on 
my  account,  for  he  is  keeping  one  hundred  and  forty- 
five  dollars  for  me.  Then  go  to  New  York,  and  buy 
your  ticket  right  through  to  New  Bern,  by  steamer. 
The  tAventy-five  dollars  wall  pay  your  way  and  some 
over,  and  w-hen  the  boat  lands  you  at  New  Bern,  I 
will  be  at  a  near-by  w^harf  with  my  own  boat,  and 
yours,  to  bring  you  the  rest  of  the  w^ay  home — think 
of  that,  sis,  to  our  own  home.  You  will  know  our 
boat  when  you  see  her,  because  she  is  a  beauty,  painted 
white  outside  and  light  green  inside,  and  her  name  is 
the  Maria  Louise. 

"  When  you  see  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Warren,  please  tell 
them  that  I  send  my  best  respects  to  them  and  should 
like  to  see  them  and  all  my  old  friends  the  horses  and 
cows,  though  I  have  such  a  comfortable  little  home 
down  here  that  I  should  not  like  to  leave  it.  Tell 
them  that  I  like  North  Carolina  very  much,  sis,  and 
that  as  my  land  is  cleared  and  planting-time  is  coming, 
I  expect  to  be  a  real  cotton  planter  before  you  have 
been  here  three  months.     I  wish  you  would  tell  Mr. 


THE  ''PATCH''  BECOMES  A   PLANTATION.    73 

Warren  that  I  have  one  ox,  named  Bob,  to  plow  the 
land  with ;  and  that  will  make  him  laugh,  but  that  is 
the  North  Carolina  way.  If  he  does  laugh  at  my 
Bob,  tell  him  a  much  funnier  thing  is  to  see  a  team 
composed  of  one  cow  and  one  mule.  I  have  seen 
several  such  teams,  and  they  draw  very  well  together. 

"  But  here's  one  thing,  sis,  that  I  hope  you  will  be 
sure  to  remember.  The  steamships  to  Norfolk  carry 
dogs  free  when  they  are  with  passengers,  so  you  can 
bring  Rover  with  a  chain,  and  put  little  Mr.  Buster 
in  a  basket  or  something.  Do  be  sure  to  bring  them 
both,  for  I  should  feel  very  bad  to  lose  either  of  them. 
They  will  be  useful,  too,  to  help  watch  the  place,  and 
always  great  company.  I  should  like  to  tell  you 
more  about  our  little  home,  only  I'm  afraid  you  might 
be  disappointed  when  you  see  it.  But  the  trees  are 
beginning  to  look  green,  dear  girl,  though  it  is  only 
February ;  and  if  you  are  as  fond  of  flowers  as  you 
used  to  be  you  can  begin  to  start  some  flower  beds 
soon  after  you  get  here. 

"  Now  I  reckon  I  have  told  you  everything,"  he 
went  on,  "  except  how  lonesome  I  have  been  without 
you,  and  how  I  expect  to  enjoy  having  you  here.  I 
wish  you  would  mail  me  a  letter  from  New  York  the 
day  your  steamer  sails.  As  that  will  come  down  by 
rail,  I  will  get  it  in  time  to  be  sure  to  meet  you  when 
you  arrive.  Remember  the  name  of  the  boat  you  are 
to  look  for  in  New  Bern,  the  Maria  Louise.  She 
ought  to  be  named  the  Mary,  in  your  honor,  for  I 
expect  you  to  have  many  a  good  time  fishing  and 


74  PINE  RIDGE  PLANTATION. 

sailing  in  her ;  but  she  already  had  her  name  when  I 
bought  her. 

^'  I  think  you  will  enjoy  it  here,  sis/'  he  continued, 
'^  but  it  is  only  fair  to  warn  you  that  there  is  plenty 
of  hard  work  for  us  both  to  do.  We  won't  mind  that, 
though,  as  it  will  be  working  for  ourselves.  I  work 
out  by  the  day  as  much  as  I  can,  to  earn  some  ready 
money  till  I  g^i  well  started,  but  that  is  nothing  when 
I  come  back  at  night  to  my  own  home.  Without 
boasting,  I  am  more  than  satisfied  with  the  way  things 
have  gone  so  far,  and  every  year  our  work  will  make 
our  place  worth  more  and  more.  We  have  something 
to  look  forward  to  now,  sis,  and  if  you  are  hungry 
when  you  land  in  New  Bern  you  can  look  forward  to 
having  a  pan  of  spoon  bread  and  a  slice  of  pig  ham 
for  your  dinner.  I  reckon  you  never  heard  of  those 
things,  but  you  will  soon  learn  to  like  them  in  No'th 
Ca'line.  Here's  Bob  bellowing  out  to  me  to  send  his 
love  to  you  ;  though  maybe  he  is  asking  me  to  bring 
his  dinner,  but  he  is  a  fine  old  fellow,  and  I  respect 
him  more  and  more  every  day.  He  will  have  an 
important  share  in  producing  our  first  bale  of  cotton, 
and  you  will  not  be  here  long  before  you  will  see  the 
seed  go  into  the  ground.  Tliat  will  be  a  great  sight 
for  you,  but  not  nearly  equal  to  seeing  the  fleecy  stuff 
in  the  bolls  ready  for  picking.  What  I  most  want  to 
see  is  our  first  crop  on  its  way  over  to  the  gin  house. 

"  Do  you  knoAV  why  I  think  so  much  about  having 
our  cotton  planted  and  harvested,  little  'un  ?  Because 
that  is  where  the  bulk  of  our  money  is  to  come  from. 


THE  ''PATCH''  BECOMES  A  PLANTATION.    75 

You  will  soon  learn  that  it  is  the  cotton  that  produces 
cash.  Our  plantation  will  insure  plenty  always  to 
eat,  but  we  must  have  cotton  to  bring  us  money. 
However,  sis,  don't  you  mind  about  money,  for  you'll 
not  need  much  of  it  here.  Just  you  remember  to 
bring  Rover  and  Buster  to  help  us  keep  what  crops 
nature  gives  us,  and  write  me  before  you  sail,  and 
keep  an  eye  open  for  your  big  brother  in  New  Bern 
with  the  Maria  Louise.  I  send  you  my  love,  sis  dear, 
and  hope  soon  to  have  you  here  in  your  own  room, 
which  has  a  real  Hyde  County  bed  in  it.  You  don't 
know  yet  what  that  is,  but  a  Hyde  County  bed  and  a 
pig  ham  are  two  of  the  sweetest  things  in  life. 

"  Now  don't  you  disappoint  me,  sis,  and  don't  forget 
Rover  and  Buster." 

"  Why,  you  must  be  writing  a  letter  to  your  girl !" 
a  hearty  voice  and  a  footstep  upon  the  floor  inter- 
rupted Hunt  in  his  literary  labor,  and  when  he  looked 
up  he  saw  the  pleasant  face  of  his  neighbor  Vincent. 

"Yes,  sir,  I  am,"  he  answered.  "  The  only  girl 
I  have  or  want  is  my  sister,  and  I  am  just  writing  to 
her  to  come  down.  It  will  be  a  happy  day  for  me, 
sir,  when  my  sister  gets  here  and  helps  to  enjoy  our 
little  home.  It  is  not  very  much  of  a  place,  yet,  but 
it  is  all  our  own,  and  I  think  we  can  make  each  other 
happy  here.  I  am  afraid  I  am  rather  an  awkward 
fellow  when  it  comes  to  writing,  for  I  wanted  to  tell 
her  that  everything  we  have  here  I  have  earned  since 
I  came  to  North  Carolina.  Then  I  wanted  to  explain 
that  although  I  still  work  for  wages  here,  for  you  and 


76  PINE  RIDGE  PLANTATION. 

at  the  cotton  giii  and  in  the  saw-mill,  it  is  only  to  get 
more  money  to  turn  the  little  place  into  a  plantation 
that  I  do  it,  and  a  fellow  doesn't  mind  wage-earning 
when  the  wages  go  toward  improving  his  own  home ; 
but  I  didn't  get  that  in  either/' 

"  No  matter  about  that,"  Mr.  Vincent  said,  w^ith  a 
laugh.  Your  sister  will  soon  find  out  about  all  those 
things,  when  she  comes.  I  hope  you  have  got  in  the 
most  important  part,  I  mean  the  money  to  pay  her 
way  down  here,  if  she  needs  it." 

"  Yes,  sir,  I  have  told  her  where  to  go  and  get  the 
money,"  Hunt  replied,  folding  his  sheet  and  putting 
it  into  the  envelope.  "  I  didn't  leave  out  quite  every- 
thing, sir." 

"  And  you  told  her  about  the  crops  you  intend  to 
raise,  I  suppose  ?"  Mr.  Vincent  asked. 

"  Yes,  sir,  I  told  her  that  I  hoped  soon  to  have  my 
cotton  planted,"  Hunt  answered. 

"  That's  a  matter  I  want  to  speak  to  you  about, 
young  man,"  Mr.  Vincent  continued.  "  You  were  a 
farmer  in  the  North,  I  understand,  so  you  know  that 
when  you  want  to  get  a  crop  you  must  fertilize  the 
ground.  No  doubt  Mr.  Burrus  told  you  this,  for  he 
knows  how  to  grow  cotton.  But  you  must  have 
money  enough  to  buy  fertilizer  to  put  on  your  cotton 
land  to  make  the  crop  grow.  No  fertilizer,  no  cotton, 
that's  pretty  sure.  So  don't  make  the  mistake  that 
some  newcomers  make,  of  trying  to  grow  cotton 
without  giving  it  something  to  feed  upon." 

"  No,  sir,  I  am  not  going  to  make  that  mistake/' 


SOME   OF    HUNT'S    "COLORED    NEIGHBORS. 


THE  "PATCH"  BECOMES  A  PLANTATION.    77 

Hunt  replied.  "  I  am  going  to  fertilize  the  land,  sir, 
and  I  have  earned  money  enough  to  buy  the  fertilizer." 

^'  Then  one  more  thing,  my  lad,"  Mr.  Vincent  went 
on,  "  for  you  are  so  industrious  that  I  want  to  see  you 
succeed.  All  our  planters  are  talking  about  diver- 
sified crops ;  but  don't  you  be  led  astray  by  that  talk. 
Growing  corn  and  many  other  crops,  instead  of  all 
cotton,  is  a  very  good  thing  when  a  man  has  plenty 
of  land,  as  most  of  them  have ;  but  remember  that 
you  have  only  five  acres,  and  that  your  greatest  profit 
will  be  in  cotton.  After  awhile  you  can  branch  out, 
but  in  the  beginning  cotton  is  your  friend." 

"  That's  just  what  I  thought,  sir,"  Hunt  exclaimed. 
"  Of  my  five  acres  I  intend  to  plant  four  acres  in 
cotton,  for  I  can't  grow  everything  on  five  acres. 
When  I  get  more  land,  as  I  hope  to  have  after  awhile, 
perhaps  I  can  grow  my  own  corn  to  fatten  my  own 
hogs ;  but  in  the  beginning  a  bale  or  two  of  cotton 
will  buy  corn  for  the  hogs.  And  all  the  time  there 
will  be  room  enough  for  plenty  of  ^  garden  stuff,'  for 
our  own  eating." 

"  Ah,  you  will  have  a  good  plantation  here  almost 
before  you  know  it,"  Mr.  Vincent  laughed,  "  for  you 
know  what  you  are  about.  But  I  see  you  are  going  to 
do  some  more  building  with  the  fresh-cut  sticks  out 
by  your  little  barn.  What  is  it  going  to  be  this  time, 
my  boy  ?" 

"  I  am  only  putting  up  a  lean-to  against  the  barn, 
sir,"  Hunt  replied.  "  It  is  no  secret,  but  I  am  going 
to  keep  something  in  it  that  is  intended  for  a  little 


78  PINE  RIDGE  PLANTATION. 

surprise  for  my  sister,  so  I  should  rather  not  speak 
of  it  until  she  comes,  sir.'' 

"  Ah,  this  looks  like  a  woman  in  the  house,  or  a 
woman  expected,  which  is  the  next  thing  to  it,''  Mr. 
Vincent  exclaimed,  as  he  stepped  up  to  the  table  to 
look  at  a  flower  box  which  stood  upon  it,  in  which 
some  fragant  violets  were  blooming.  "  Been  making 
a  flower  box  for  your  sister,  have  you  ?" 

"Yes,  sir,  I  want  to  make  it  as  comfortable  for 
her  as  I  can,"  Hunt  answered,  "  and  she  is  very  fond 
of  flowers.  It  will  be  something  she  has  never  seen 
before,  when  she  finds  the  grass  full  of  blooming 
violets,  in  February." 

Soon  after  Mr.  Vincent's  departure.  Hunt  went  to 
work  at  the  lean-to  beside  the  barn,  for  that  was  some- 
thing to  be  finished  without  fail  by  the  time  of  his 
sister's  arrival.  While  he  was  cutting  one  of  the  long 
slender  timbers,  the  sound  of  a  footstep  caused  him  to 
look  up,  and  he  saw  before  him  the  colored  neighbor 
who  had  hauled  several  of  his  loads  of  slabs  from  the 
saw-mill. 

"  Mawnin',  boss,"  said  the  man,  with  a  pull  at  the 
peak  of  his  cap,  and  a  scrape  at  the  ground  with  the 
toe  of  one  ragged  shoe.  "You's  a-gitten  quite  a 
place  here,  boss,  an'  I  hear  you's  fixin'  up,  'ca'se  you 
'specs  yo'  sistah  heah  to  lib  wid  you. 

"My  ole  woman  she  done  yeah 'bout  yo'  sistah 
comin'  an'  she  glad  you  goin'  ter  have  some  company 
yeah.  She  say  she  reckon  yo'  sistah's  teefe  done  need 
a  powerful  lot  o'  cleanin'  'gin  she  gits  yeah,  so  she 


THE  ''PATCH''  BECOMES  A  PLANTATION.    79 

sen'  ober  dis  yeah  box  an'  toofe  brush  fer  de  gal.  Dat 
yeah  brush  de  rale  black  gum  wood,  I  done  cut  it  my- 
self, fer  de  ole  woman/' 

As  he  spoke  he  held  out  in  one  hand  a  tin  tobacco 
box,  much  the  worse  for  age  and  rust,  and  a  small 
dark  brown  stick,  opening  the  box  to  show  that  it  was 
partially  filled  with  snuff. 

"  Why,  that's  tobacco  !"  Hunt  exclaimed,  as  he 
recognized  the  requisites  for  dipping  snuff.  "  It's 
very  kind  of  you  and  your  wife  to  think  of  it.  Uncle 
Henry,  but  I  think  I  had  better  not  give  them  to 
my  sister,  for  she  never  uses  tobacco  in  any  form, 
and  even  the  smell  of  it  would  make  her  sick.  Girls 
don't  dip  snuff  in  our  country,  you  know,  Uncle 
Henry." 

"  Bress  yer  heart,  she  needn'  be  skeered  of  it,  boss, 
de  brush  ain'  done  been  chawed  none  yit ;  but  she'll 
soon  learn  ter  chaw  de  sweet  little  brush,  w'en  she 
done  come  inter  dis  yer  country,"  Uncle  Henry  re- 
torted, as  he  returned  the  treasures  to  his  pocket. 

"  Indeed  she'll  not !"  Hunt  declared.  "  I'll  try  to 
find  her  something  better  to  chew  on  than  a  little 
snuffy  stick,  Uncle  Henry,  that's  what  I'm  here  for. 
But  I'm  just  as  much  obliged  to  you  and  your  wife 
for  your  good  intentions,  as  if  I  could  take  it.  You 
are  all  good  neighbors,  here  on  the  creek,  white  or 
black ;  and  I  will  tell  my  sister  about  your  kindness, 
when  she  comes.  I  am  building  something  here  for 
her,  but  I  can't  tell  you  yet  what  is  to  be  kept 
in  it." 


80  PINE  RIDGE  PLANTATION. 

"  Yah,  yah,  yah  !  w'ite  gals  up  Norf  don'  chaw  de 
stick,  eh  ?"  the  black  neighbor  roared  from  a  distance, 
on  his  way  back  to  "the  ole'  woman/'  "  Den  I  reckon 
dey  ain'  got  no  black  gum  up  deah  !  but  she  soon 
learn  to  shine  her  teefe  down  yeah." 


CHAPTER   VII. 

THE  FAMILY  IN  THE  BRICE   CREEK  HOME. 

Pink  ribbons  make  no  part  of  the  usual  outfit  of  a 
cotton  plantation ;  but  Hunt  bought  a  number  of  yards 
of  cheap  pink  ribbon  in  his  frequent  visits  to  New 
Bern  after  he  sent  for  his  sister.  The  answer  from 
her  he  received  necessarily  at  New  Bern,  that  being 
his  post-office. 

"  Now  hold  up  your  head,  Bob/'  he  told  the  patient 
ox,  after  the  letter  had  come  announcing  that  Mary 
was  about  to  sail ;  and  as  he  spoke  he  tied  a  streamer 
of  the  ribbon  to  Bob's  horns. 

"  There's  a  young  lady  coming  to  see  you,  and  I 
want  you  to  look  your  best,  old  fellow."  He  had 
talked  so  much  to  Bob  in  his  solitude  that  it  almost 
seemed  as  if  the  reflective  animal  could  understand 
him.  Then  leaving  Bob  wholly  unmoved  by  his  new 
splendor,  the  young  planter  went  into  the  lean-to 
beside  the  barn  and  decorated  a  handsome  little  animal 
there  with  a  strip  of  ribbon  around  its  neck,  and  as 
shapely  a  bow  as  he  could  tie  under  the  throat. 
"  Keep  still,  Fanny,  your  mistress  is  coming,"  he  said 
to  the  new  animal ;  but  "  Fanny  "  might  have  been 
the  name  of  a  cow  or  a  dog,  and  the  mystery  of  the 
lean-to  was  still  Hunt's  own  secret,  and  none  other's. 

6  81 


82  PINE  RIDGE  PLANTATION. 

There  was  still  a  long  strip  of  the  ribbon  left  after 
this  bow  was  tied,  however,  for  Hunt  had  other  uses 
for  it. 

There  had  never  been  a  moment's  doubt  in  his 
mind  about  his  sister's  coming  when  he  sent  for  her ; 
but  the  letter  saying  that  she  was  actually  on  the  way 
had  come  before  he  could  use  the  reserve  envelope 
and  sheet  of  paper  to  write  her  once  more  to  be  sure 
to  bring  Rover  and  Buster. 

It  was  well  for  him  that  that  was  a  bright  moon- 
light night,  for  he  had  much  work  to  do  in  the  Maria 
Louise  before  daylight.  In  the  ordinary  course  of 
events  Mary  should  arrive  in  New  Bern  in  the  steam- 
boat Neuse  next  morning,  and  the  boat  must  be  in 
good  trim  to  carry  her  over  to  her  new  home. 

He  unscrewed  the  arm-chair  from  his  bench  and 
put  it  back  in  the  stern  of  the  boat,  put  the  cushions 
in  their  proper  places,  carried  down  the  mast  and  sails 
and  the  oars,  and  wiped  the  boat  as  dry  as  the  floor 
of  his  house.  It  was  barely  past  four  o'clock  in  the 
morning  and  still  bright  moonlight  when  he  hoisted 
the  sail  and  set  out  for  New  Bern,  for  the  Neuse  was 
due  at  eight  o'clock. 

Never  before  had  his  own  little  settlement  looked 
so  handsome  to  him  as  it  looked  that  morning  under 
the  soft  light,  nor  the  pine  bluff  bordering  the  creek, 
nor  the  creek  itself,  nor  the  broad  river  Trent.  It 
was  all  the  better  that  the  wind  was  unfavorable  for 
him  at  the  start,  for  that  gave  him  a  valid  excuse  for 
warming  himself  by  using  the  oars.     What  cared  he 


THE  FAMILY  IN  THE  BRICE  CREEK  HOME.    83 

for  the  labor  of  rowing,  when  Mary  was  coming,  and 
perhaps  Rover  and  Buster  ? 

He  had  timed  himself  so  well  that  he  was  past  the 
Trent  River  bridge  when  the  steamboat  Neuse  swung 
in  from  the  broader  river  toward  her  wharf.  Scores 
of  people,  colored  people,  were  crossing  the  long 
bridge,  and  other  scores  were  gathered  on  the  wharf, 
and  he  sympathized  with  them  because  they  had  no 
share  in  his  joy  over  the  coming  of  Mary  and  Rover 
and  Buster.  How  commonplace  the  world  must  seem 
to  them,  he  thought,  to  see  the  boat  coming  in  with- 
out any  expectation  of  greeting  a  loved  sister. 

The  Neuse's  bow  swung  in,  but  he  saw  no  sign  of 
Mary  among  the  people  on  her  upper  deck.  No 
matter,  she  would  be  busy  below,  he  knew,  getting 
her  baggage  ready  for  landing.  And  as  she  must 
come  out  through  the  big  gate  with  the  other  passen- 
gers, he  must  land  himself,  at  the  next  wharf,  to  be 
ready  to  greet  her. 

He  sprang  ashore,  and  tying  his  boat,  went  up 
tow^ard  the  gate  of  exit  to  wait  for  his  sister.  The 
gate  was  open  when  he  reached  it,  and  he  had  stood 
among  the  hackmen  only  a  few  moments  when  he  was 
almost  knocked  down.  A  big  black-and-white  setter 
dog  wdth  a  chain  attached  to  his  leather  collar  made  a 
dash  through  the  crowd,  dragging  helter-skelter  a  girl 
who  held  fast  to  the  other  end  of  the  chain  with  one 
hand,  and  carried  on  her  other  arm  a  big  square  brown 
basket  with  a  cover. 

"Why,  Rover,  dear  old  fellow  !"  Hunt  cried,  in- 


84  PINE  RIDGE  PLANTATION, 

stantly  recognizing  his  dog,  and  at  the  sound  of  his 
voice  Rover  sprang  lovingly  upon  him,  putting  one 
front  paw  upon  each  shoulder,  and  licking  his  face. 
Then  Mary  came  with  a  rush,  still  holding  the  chain, 
and  the  next  moment  Hunt  had  her  in  his  arms. 

"  Welcome  to  New  Bern,  sister  and  chum  !"  he 
exclaimed,  giving  her  an  embrace  and  a  hearty  kiss. 
"  You  don^t  know  how  glad  I  am  to  see  you,  Mary. 
And  dear  old  Rover,  too.  But  where  is  Buster?  I 
hope  you  haven't  forgotten  little  Buster." 

"  Why,  here  is  Buster,  in  the  basket,  Hunt,"  Mary 
replied,  returning  her  brother's  salute  with  interest. 
"  You  never  saw  such  a  little  traveller  as  he  is.  Hunt. 
I  kept  the  basket  in  my  stateroom  on  both  boats, 
though  the  notices  say  dogs  are  not  allowed  in  state- 
rooms ;  and  I  guess  he  knew  where  he  was,  for  he  did 
not  open  his  mouth  the  whole  way." 

"  Good  for  little  Buster !"  Hunt  exclaimed,  as  he 
took  the  basket.  "And  Rover  knew  me  the  minute 
he  saw  me.  Come,  Rover !  that's  one  of  our  most 
influential  hackmen  you  have  just  tripped  up  with 
your  chain.  We  must  get  out  of  the  way,  here. 
Come,  Mary,  right  over  here  to  our  own  boat." 

"  Oh,  and  then  to  our  own  home  !"  Mary  cried, 
delightedly,  trying  to  drag  Rover  after  her. 

"  Here,  Rove !"  Hunt  called,  when  they  were  a 
little  to  one  side ;  and  Rover  made  another  dash  for 
his  master,  and  the  chain  caused  the  sudden  downfall 
of  a  colored  boy  who  was  admiring  the  top  of  the 
steamboat's  smokestack,  with  his  hands  in  his  pockets. 


THE  PAMiLY  IN  THE  JBRICE  CREEK  HOME,   85 

"  Get  right  into  that  arm-chair  in  the  stern/'  Hunt 
directed,  as  he  pulled  the  boat  around  and  helped  his 
sister  in.  "  You  can  hold  Buster  in  your  lap  there, 
and  let  him  enjoy  the  scenery  of  the  Sunny  South. 
Here  Rover,  amidships  is  your  place.  Now  for  home, 
Mary ;  and  a  new  home  I  tell  you  it  will  be  for  me, 
with  you  and  Rover  and  Buster.  We'll  be  away 
from  the  crowd  in  a  minute.  Oh,  yes,  here  is  your 
satchel  all  safe ;  I  nearly  forgot  that  in  the  commotion. 
Down,  Rover ;  lie  still,  sir ;  I  am  going  to  introduce 
you  to  a  dear  old  ox  when  we  get  home." 

"  Why,  what  a  fine  place !"  Mary  exclaimed,  as 
she  worked  at  the  fastenings  of  Buster's  basket. 
"  This  is  New  Bern  here,  I  suppose,  of  course." 

"Yes,  this  is  New  Bern,"  Hunt  replied,  as  he 
hoisted  the  sail ;  "  and  that  is  James  City  across  the 
river,  where  three  thousand  colored  people  live,  all  in 
cabins.  And  this  is  the  river  Trent  we  are  on,  and 
right  ahead  of  us  is  the  Trent  River  bridge.  What 
do  you  think  of  this  warm  sun  for  the  last  of 
February,  Mary  ?  You  begin  to  see  now  that  you  are 
down  South,  don't  you?  Isn't  this  handsome  around 
here?"  he  continued.  "We  have  just  a  nice  little 
sail  now  up  the  Trent,  to  the  mouth  of  Brice  Creek, 
and  then  home." 

"  It  is  like  beautiful  spring,"  Mary  replied  ;  "  and 
I  can  appreciate  it,  for  I  had  to  wade  through  snow 
when  I  left  the  farm.  And  to  think  that  you  and  I 
are  going  to  our  own  home,  Hunt !  Now  sit  still. 
Buster !"  she  cried,  for  by  this  time  Buster  was  out 


86  PINE  RIDGE  PLANTATION. 

of  his  basket  and  in  her  lap,  and  was  evidently  deter- 
mined to  learn  his  new  surroundings,  for  he  was 
stretching  his  little  yellow  neck  to  look  in  every  pos- 
sible direction. 

Mary's  excitement  made  itself  manifest  when  the 
boat  sheered  into  the  creek ;  but  when  the  little  set- 
tlement became  visible  she  could  hardly  keep  her 
seaf. 

"  Why,  Hunt !''  she  exclaimed,  clapping  her  hands ; 
"  that  your  place,  with  all  those  buildings  ?'' 

"No,  not  my  place,  our  place,''  Hunt  answered. 
"  That  is  our  home,  and  the  place  where  we  are  both 
to  do  plenty  of  hard  work,  to  make  it  homelike.  It 
makes  quite  a  showing  from  the  water,  but  the  five 
buildings  are  all  small.  Our  house,  you  see,  is  a  bit 
of  a  place,  but  it  is  large  enough  to  hold  us  both.  By 
the  time  we  have  grown  larger,  maybe  the  house  and 
the  plantation  will  have  grown  larger  too.  There  is 
plenty  of  room  all  around,  you  see,  for  growth.  We 
can  add  to  our  land,  perhaps,  when  any  of  our  neigh- 
bors want  to  sell ;  and  we  can  add  to  our  house  when- 
ever we  have  the  boards  and  the  time  to  give  it. 
That  is  a  thing  that  depends  entirely  upon  ourselves ; 
it's  not  like  working  for  so  much  a  month,  where 
improvement  must  depend  upon  other  people.  Here 
we  can  be  whatever  we  make  ourselves,  Mary.  But 
look  out,  now,  little  'un,  for  we  are  almost  home.  Do 
you  see  that  path  up  the  bluff?  that's  the  spot.  And 
the  little  tree  at  the  foot  of  the  bluff,  down  by  the 
water?  that's  where  I  keep  the  boat  tied.     Look  out 


THE  FAMILY  IN  THE  BRICE  CREEK  HOME.    87 


for  a  little  tipping,  now,  when  I  unchain  Rover,  for 
he  will  surely  jump.'^ 

"  Here  Rove,  old  boy/'  Hunt  stepped  out  with 
the  painter  in  his  hand,  the  sail  having  been  lowered 
when  they  entered  the  creek,  and  in  an  instant  Rover 
was  ashore,  wagging  his  tail  with  great  vehemence, 
and  barking  to  show  his  pleasure  at  being  on  firm 
land  again.  Hunt  tied  the  painter  to  the  little  tree  at 
the  water's  edge,  and  by  the  time  he  held  out  his 
hands  for  Mary,  Rover  was  at  the  top  of  the  bluif, 
digging  holes  in  the  sand  and  barking  gleefully. 

"  Welcome  home,  Mary  !"  and  as  Hunt  said  the 
heartfelt  words  he  reached  forward  and  lifted  his 
sister  bodily  out  of  the  boat,  with  Buster  still  in  her 
arms. 

"  Now,  then,  little  Bust,  this  is  home  for  you  too, 
old  fellow,"  he  exclaimed,  as  he  set  Buster  carefully 
down.  And  the  little  dog  seemed  to  realize  it,  for  he 
made  desperate  efforts  to  spring  upon  the  shoulders  of 
both  master  and  mistress,  barking  furiously  all  the 
time.  By  the  time  the  brother  and  sister  had  reached 
the  summit  of  the  bluif,  both  dogs  were  frisking  about 
the  door-yard,  and  barking  at  nothing.  Hunt  ran 
ahead  and  unlocked   he  door,  and  threw  it  open. 

"  It  is  the  finest  house  I  every  saw  in  my  life. 
Hunt,"  Mary  exclaimed,  as  she  stepped  in.  "  Because 
it  is  home,  I  suppose,  and  because  you  built  it.  But 
there  are  two  of  us  now  to  work,  and  you  will  not  have 
(Everything  to  do  alone. 

^^  Why,  I  declare  ! "  she  exclaimed,  "  here  is  a  coffee 


88  PINE  RIDGE  PLANTATION. 

pot  hanging  against  the  wall ;  and  if  there  is  some 
coffee  I  will  soon  have  some  made,  for  I  am  the  cook 
now,  you  know/' 

Any  boy  would  have  been  proud  to  show  his  sister 
what  he  had  made  and  earned,  and  Hunt  was  no  ex- 
ception ;  but  he  had  much  to  do.  First  he  built  a 
roaring  fire  of  light  wood,  and  then  ran  down  to  the 
creek  with  the  pail,  for  he  must  have  water  for  the 
teakettle,  and  the  arm-chair  must  he  brought  up  for 
Mary. 

It  was  a  pity,  by  the  time  he  returned  Mary  had 
found  and  examined  her  own  room,  and  could  hardly 
find  words  to  express  her  pleasure.  When  he  came 
back  the  boat  cushions  were  in  his  arms. 

There  were  two  cooks  for  the  breakfast  that  morn- 
ing, for  both  brother  and  sister  insisted  upon  doing 
the  w^ork ;  and  in  an  interval  the  beauties  of  the 
Hyde  County  beds  had  to  be  exhibited. 

"  They're  just  splendid,  and  so  springy  P  Mary 
exclaimed.  "  I  never  slept  on  such  a  good  bed  in  my 
life.  And  the  cushions  are  stuffed  with  cotton  ! 
There  must  be  plenty  of  cotton  around  here.  Hunt, 
and  we  can  have  not  only  cushions,  but  mattresses  and 
quilts  and  pillows.  Why,  we  can  soon  live  here  like 
a  king  and  queen.  I  see  a  few  little  things  that  a 
girl's  hands  can  do.  Some  little  cheap  sash  curtains 
for  the  windows  w^ould  look  well.  Hunt,  and  we  need 
some  dish  towels  and  dish  cloths.  I'd  like  to  have 
some  cotton  cloth  to  make  our  mattresses  of,  too,  for 
I  must  be  at  work.     I  suppose  you  have  to  go  over  to 


THE  FAMILY  IN  THE  BRICE   CREEK  HOME.    89 

New  Bern  when  you  want  to  buy  anything  ?  Would 
it  take  too  much  of  your  time  to  sail  me  over  in  the 
boat  to-day  ?" 

This  was  while  Mary  was  eating  her  first  bite  of 
pig  ham,  and  Rover  and  Buster  w^ere  making  short 
work  of  the  poached  eggs.  The  brother  and  sister  were 
too  full  of  joy  to  care  much  for  eating,  and  Mary^s 
question  gave  Hunt  the  chance  he  wanted  to  introduce 
a  very  important  subject. 

"  The  boat  is  very  useful,  Mary,"  he  said,  but  we 
do  not  have  to  depend  upon  that  entirely  for  going 
over  to  the  city.  Step  outside  a  moment  till  I  show 
you  the  live  stock." 

Mary  was  half  wild  with  joy  as  she  followed  Hunt 
out,  for  she  was  fond  of  all  living  things. 

"  This  is  the  smoke  house,"  Hunt  explained,  as  he 
paused  in  front  of  it.  "  Here  our  bacon  is  to  be  cured, 
when  we  get  our  pigs." 

"  And  this  is  the  stable,"  he  continued,  leading  her 
on.  "  There  is  nothing  in  it  yet  but  an  ox ;  but  he 
is  a  very  useful  companion.  Wait  a  moment  till  I 
bring  him  out." 

When  he  returned  leading  the  ox.  Bob  stood 
pawing  the  ground,  and  by  throwing  his  head  up 
waved  his  long  ribbons  grandly.  Mary  clapped  her 
hands  and  fairly  shouted  for  glee. 

"But  what  is  in  here?"  she  asked.  "There  is 
some  other  animal  in  this  lean-to,  isn't  there  ?" 

"  There  is  something  here  that  a  fellow  I  know  has 
bought  for  a  little  present  for  his  dear  sister,"  Hunt 


90  PINE  RIDGE  PLANTATION. 

answered,  as  he  opened  the  door  of  the  lean-to  and 
entered. 

"  Come,  Fanny,  come  out  and  see  your  mistress," 
he  went  on,  leading  out  a  handsome  bay  pony  about 
twelve  hands  high.  And  Fanny  neighed,  and  stepped 
up  and  rubbed  her  nose  against  Mary's  hands. 

''  This  is  your  very  own  pony,  Mary,"  Hunt  con- 
tinued. 

"  She  is  what  they  call  a  ^  banks  pony '  in  this 
country,  and  is  gentle  as  a  kitten  and  doesn't  have 
to  be  shod.  They  are  cheap  here,  Mary,  and  very 
useful.  You  can  ride  her  over  to  the  city  when  we 
do  not  go  in  the  boat,  and  I  can  go  with  you  in  the  ox- 
cart. I  could  not  afford  a  saddle  and  bridle,  Mary ; 
but  this  rope  bridle  answers  the  purpose,  and  as  I 
know  you  are  a  good  rider  you  can  get  along  with 
this  folded  blanket  strapped  on  with  the  surcingle." 

By  this  time  Mary  was  on  Fanny's  back,  and  Fanny 
was  whinnying  her  pleasure. 

"  If  you  are  in  a  hurry  to  make  your  purchases," 
Hunt  continued,  "  I  will  harness  up  the  ox  and  cart 
at  once,  and  we  will  go  over  to  New  Bern  ^  right  now,' 
as  the  North  Carolinians  say." 

As  Rover  and  Buster  were  such  strangers,  it  was 
determined  that  they  should  be  left  in  the  house 
while  the  brother  and  sister  were  absent ;  but  they 
were  both  decorated  with  what  was  left  of  the  pink 
ribbon. 

In  a  few  minutes  both  ox  and  pony  Avere  ready  ; 
and,  the  door  having  been  locked,  the  little  procession 


L 


>v»f.»sC4^lW^ 


WITH     MARY    ON    THE    PONY    IN    THE    LEAD,     AND    THE    OX-CART    BRINGING 

UP    THE    REAR 


THE  FAMILY  IN  THE  BRICE  CREEK  HOME.   91 

started,  with  Mary  on  the  pony  in  the  lead,  and  the 
ox -cart  bringing  up  the  rear. 

"  I  suppose  everybody  will  laugh  at  us,"  Mary 
laughed  to  herself,  turning  toward  Hunt  just  before 
they  reached  the  bridge  over  Brice  Creek. 

"Indeed,  this  is  very  stylish,"  Hunt  retorted. 
"  Now,  if  you  were  riding  the  ox  or  driving  the  cart 
you  would  be  in  true  North  Carolina  fashion.  It  is 
nothing  unusual  to  see  a  woman  driving  an  ox-cart 
into  town  with  a  load  of  wood  or  pork.  But  I  hope 
you  will  not  get  so  far  into  the  style  as  to  smoke  a 
corn-cob  pipe  while  riding,  or  to  chew  a  stick  dipped 
in  snufP." 

"  Never  fear  about  that !"  Mary  laughed  again. 
"  I  want  to  be  a  real  North  Carolinian  with  cotton, 
but  not  with  tobacco,  which  I  think  is  very  dirty 
stuff." 

"  But  what  kind  of  a  settlement  is  this  ?"  she 
asked,  for  they  were  about  to  enter  the  outskirts  of 
James  City,  and  the  long  rows  of  half  ruinous  cabins 
attracted  her  attention.  "  AYhv,  our  own  house  is 
quite  a  mansion  compared  with  any  of  these,"  she 
went  on.  "  I  don't  see  how  people  can  live  in  such 
tumble-down  shanties." 

"  These  are  all  colored  people  living  here,"  Hunt 
explained,  "and  they  can  do  almost  anything  that 
requires  no  labor.  You  see  what  we  should  soon 
come  to  if  we  grew  too  lazy  to  keep  things  neat." 

"  Well,  we'll  not  do  that !"  Mary  exclaimed  ;  and 
she  could  not  say  more  at  the  moment,  for  the  pony 


92 


PINE  RIDGE  PLANTATIOJ^. 


had  struck  into  what  they  both  thought  the  most 
perfect  saddle  gait  ever  seen.  But  she  called,  "  I'll 
wait  for  you  at  the  end  of  the  bridge,"  for  the  bridge 
was  now  visible  through  the  long,  narrow,  muddy» 
shanty-lined  street. 

Bob  could  not  be  hurried  into  a  fast  walk,  but  when 
he  reached  the  bridge  he  found  Mary  and  Fanny 
waiting  impatiently  for  him,  and  they  all  soon  crossed 
the  long  bridge  into  the  city  of  New  Bern. 

A  gentleman  whom  they  encountered,  when  over 
the  bridge,  took  off  his  hat  so  gallantly  to  Mary  that 
at  first  she  thought  he  must  be  ridiculing  her.  But 
as  another  gentleman  soon  did  the  same  thing  she 
saw  that  it  was  real  politeness,  not  irony. 

With  one  or  two  turns  they  were  soon  in  Pollock 
Street,  and  in  front  of  the  post-office,  where  Hunt 
stopped  Bob  and  ran  in  to  inquire  for  mail. 

"  Most  of  the  stores  are  in  this  street,"  he  told 
Mary,  when  he  returned  ;  and  as  Fanny  was  indulging 
a  fondness  for  standing  on  her  hind  legs  and  paw- 
ing the  air,  she  was  glad  to  see  that  she  was  not  the 
only  girl  on  a  pony  without  a  saddle,  nor  Bob  the 
only  ox  come  to  town  with  a  cart. 

They  went  into  store  after  store  in  Pollock  Street 
and  then  in  Middle  Street,  leaving  Bob  standing  con- 
tentedly outside  and  Fanny  hitched  to  an  awning 
post.  When  that  part  of  the  business  was  concluded 
there  lay  in  the  cart  a  large  parcel,  and  a  great  paper 
bag. 

"  Now  we  have  the  dry  goods  we  need,"  Mary  said, 


THE  FAMILY  IN  THE  BRICE  CREEK  HOME.   93 

"  and  large  and  small  needles  and  a  pair  of  scissors, 
and  cord  for  the  mattresses ;  but  for  stuffing  the 
mattresses  and  quilts  and  pillows,  we  must  have  some 
cotton.  I  suppose  there  must  be  plenty  of  cotton  in 
New  Bern ;  how  would  it  do  to  buy  a  bale  and  take 
it  home  with  us  ?" 

"A  bale  of  cotton !"  Hunt  exclaimed,  aghast. 
"  Well,  you  are  not  a  true  Southern  girl  yet,  that's 
plain.  Why,  child,  a  bale  of  cotton  weighs  five  hun- 
dred pounds,  and  at  six  cents  a  pound  is  worth  thirty 
dollars.  That  would  be  enough  cotton  to  make  a 
dozen  mattresses." 

"But  I'll  show  you  a  better  way  than  that,"  he 
continued.  "  We  will  go  right  down  Middle  Street, 
and  then  down  an  alley,  to  the  cotton  gin  where  I 
work  sometimes,  and  where  I  can  buy  some  of  the 
uncleaned  cotton,  just  as  it  comes  in  from  the  planta- 
tions, at  less  than  half  price ;  and  a  feed  bag  stuffed 
full  will  be  plenty  for  us." 

"  Oh,  I  should  so  like  to  see  a  cotton  gin  !"  Mary 
declared,  and  they  were  soon  in  front  of  the  gin  house, 
and  inside  she  was  delighted  to  watch  the  loose  cotton 
rush  up  to  the  mouth  of  a  big  tin  pipe,  like  the  register 
pipe  of  a  furnace  in  the  North,  and  so  travel  rap- 
idly to  the  top  of  the  building,  she  not  kno^ang,  of 
course,  that  the  air  was  exhausted  from  the  other  end 
of  the  pipe  for  that  purpose.  When  they  left  the 
cotton  gin,  a  big  feed  bag  stuffed  tight  with  cotton  lay 
in  the  cart  beside  the  other  things. 

"Now  I  want  to  go  to  Burrus  &  Gray's   for  a 


94  PINE  RIDGE  PLANTATION. 

minute,"  Hunt  announced,  "  for  as  we  have  animals 
we  must  have  something  to  feed  them  with." 

They  turned  down  South  Front  Street,  and  then  into 
Craven  Street,  and  were  soon  in  front  of  Burr  us  & 
Gray's  office,  where  they  stopped  and  Hunt  went  in. 
In  a  minute  two  porters  came  out  bringing  a  bag  of 
oats  and  a  bag  of  corn,  and  '^  Fanny  behaved  beauti- 
fully," as  Mary  thought,  for  she  stood  up  on  her  hind 
legs  and  pawed  the  air  like  a  circus  pony. 

The  New  York  girl  was  an  experienced  horse- 
woman, and  as  she  kept  her  seat  with  ease  she  became 
aware  of  two  gentlemen  standing  on  the  curb  beside 
her,  taking  oif  their  hats  and  bowing  as  politely  to  her 
as  if  she  had  been  some  fine  lady  of  distinction.  They 
were  Mr.  Burrus  and  Mr.  Grav,  as  she  soon  learned. 

"  How  do  you  do,  Miss  Mary  ?"  Mr.  Burrus  asked, 
taking  off  his  hat  to  her.  "  Hunt  tells  me  that  you 
are  his  sister,  and  I  bid  you  welcome  to  North  Caro- 
lina, and  hope  you  will  enjoy  yourself  here  in  the 
South.  Your  brother  is  a  worker,  and  that  is  a  com- 
fortable home  he  has  made  for  you  both." 

"  Good  evening,  Miss  Robertson,"  Mr.  Gray  said, 
as  he  also  removed  his  hat  and  bowed ;  and  Mary  was 
surprised,  for  she  did  not  know  yet  that  in  the  South 
afternoon  is  always  called  evening.  '^  That  is  a  fine 
boat  your  brother  has,"  Mr.  Gray  continued,  "and 
no  doubt  you  Avill  have  some  great  sport  fishing,  over 
on  Brice  Creek.  I  see  you  have  nothing  to  learn 
about  riding  from  the  North  Carolina  ladies,"  he  added, 
and  again  removed  his  hat. 


THE  FAMILY  IN  THE  BRICE  CREEK  HOME.    95 


i( 


Now  when  you  want  anything  that  you  can't  find 
in  a  new  country/'  Mr.  Burrus  said,  "  be  sure  to  come 
to  me,  Miss  Mary,  for  your  brother  and  I  are  old 
friends." 

After  a  few  words  of  thanks  and  farewell  the  odd 
little  procession  turned  down  South  Front  Street  again, 
and  continued  until  the  end  of  Trent  River  bridge  was 
reached. 

"  I  never  saw  such  polite  people  !"  Mary  exclaimed, 
as  they  crossed  the  long  bridge.  ^'  Why,  those  gentle- 
men treated  us  as  if  we  were  real  planters,  instead  of 
only  a  poor  boy  and  girl  trying  to  make  a  living." 

"Just  what  I  have  been  telling  you,"  Hunt 
answered.  "  I  think  they  are  the  most  polite  and 
most  accommodating  people  in  the  world,  and  I  am 
glad  we  are  here." 

"But  look  here,  Mary  !"  Hunt  called,  for  by  this 
time  they  were  in  the  narrow  lanes  of  James  City, 
where  their  way  was  often  obstructed  by  droves  of 
pigs,  large  and  small,  and  countless  chickens  and 
turkeys. 

"  These  things  are  a  nuisance  in  the  streets,  but  I  am 
interested  in  them,  for  I  suppose  any  of  them  can  be 
bought,  and  we  shall  want  to  buy  some  of  them 
before  long  to  stock  our  pigpen  and  poultry  house 
that  I  have  not  had  time  to  show  you  yet." 

"  Oh,  that  will  be  splendid  !"  Mary  cried,  as  Fanny 
dashed  ahead.  "  I  am  so  glad  we  are  to  have  pigs 
and  poultry  ;  and  you  shall  not  have  one  bit  of  bother 
with  them,  for  I  will  feed  them  every  day." 


96  PINE  RIDGE  PLANTATION. 

"There's  the  right  girl  for  a  poor  planter's  sister  !" 
Hunt  said  to  himself,  Mary  being  far  out  of  hear- 
ing, and  out  of  sight  around  a  turn. 

In  due  time  they  crossed  the  bridge  over  Brice 
Creek  and  reached  their  own  premises,  where  they 
were  greeted  by  the  joyful  barking  of  two  dogs  in  the 
house. 

When  Hunt  opened  the  door  to  carry  their  purchases 
inside,  both  dogs  sprang  out,  and  capered  like  mad 
about  them. 

"  Hunt !"  Mary  exclaimed,  when  the  cart  was 
empty,  "  as  you  can  drive  that  ox,  I  believe  you  can 
ride  him.  What  do  you  say  to  a  race  up  and  down 
the  bluff,  after  you  unhitch  him  from  the  cart?  I 
want  you  to  see  how  beautifully  Fanny  goes." 

"  But  you  don't  know  how  beautifully  an  ox  goes, 
when  you  wake  him  up  !"  Hunt  laughed.  "  However, 
I'm  willing  to  try,  and  a  little  sport  will  do  us  no 
harm." 

The  arrangements  for  an  impromptu  race  along 
the  bluff  were  soon  made,  and  when  Bob  was  freed 
from  the  cart.  Hunt  straddled  his  back  and  seized  him 
by  the  horns. 

"  Come  on  !"  he  cried,  and  both  dogs  entered  fully 
into  the  spirit  of  the  occasion.  Kover  sprang  play- 
fully at  the  ox's  nose,  and  Buster  tried  his  best  to 
mount  Fanny's  lowered  head,  both  barking  furiously. 

"  Then  come  on  !"  Mary  echoed,  when  they  reached 
the  bluff;  and  at  a  word  Fanny  started  at  a  great 
pace  over  the  soft  ground. 


THE  FAMILY  IN  THE  BRICE  CREEK  HOME.   97 

"Ah,  Vm.  beating  you  already  !"  she  called  back;' 
and  as  this  was  painfully  evident,  Hunt  used  his  heels 
to  pound  the  ox's  sides,  and  slapped  him  with  his  hand 
upon  the  haunches.  The  sight  of  the  pony  galloping 
in  advance,  the  excitement  of  Rover  snapping  at  his 
nose,  the  annoyance  of  Buster  frisking  and  barking 
around  and  under  him,  the  kicking  against  his  ribs, 
the  slapping  of  his  haunches,  Hunt's  shouts  and 
Mary's  laughter,  with  perhaps  his  unaccustomed 
freedom  from  harness,  combined  to  stir  the  ox's  usually 
sluggish  feelings,  and  to  awaken  in  him  a  degree  of 
enthusiasm  that  in  the  North  Carolina  ox  is  seldom 
reached,  and  that  once  reached,  portends  trouble. 
Hunt  knew  nothing  of  the  volcano  that  was  beginning 
to  smoke  behind  those  gentle  eyes,  however,  and 
continued  his  kicking,  slapping,  and  shouting,  and 
the  unwieldy  ox  was  soon  going  at  a  furious  pace. 

When  Mary  reached  the  end  of  the  cleared  space 
at  the  edge  of  the  bluff,  Fanny  running  her  prettiest, 
instead  of  turning  back,  as  Hunt  expected,  she  swerved 
off  to  the  left  in  a  segment  of  a  great  circle,  toward 
the  fence  inclosing  the  plot,  looking  about  and  shout- 
ing to  Hunt, 

"  I'm  going  to  try  the  pony  at  a  fence,"  and  in  an 
instant  Fanny  leaped  the  fence  almost  as  gracefully 
as  a  deer  could  have  done  it. 

The  ox,  not  to  be  outdone  without  a  struggle,  re- 
doubled his  speed,  raised  his  head  as  high  as  his  thick 
neck  permitted,  and  shook  it  as  if  he  would  shake  off 
his  horns.     They  were  well  secured  against  bemg  lost, 
7 


98  PINE  RIDGE  PLANTATION. 

however,  for  Hunt  had  a  life-and-death  grip  upon 
them  both,  Bob's  horns  and  tail  being  his  only  securi- 
ties. 

When  Bob  reached  the  point  where  Fanny  had 
turned  he  was  at  the  very  top  of  his  speed,  and  swerved 
to  follow  the  pony's  footsteps.  Seeing  only  too  clearly 
what  was  coming.  Hunt  shouted  to  Mary,  who  was 
now  safely  over  the  fence, 

"  Look  out !  look  out !  Keep  out  of  the  way,  for 
Bob's  going  to  try  the  fence,  too.  I  can  stand  the 
fence,  if  he  don't  try  to  jump  the  stable !" 

Bob  "  took  "  the  fence  in  more  senses  than  one,  for 
he  struck  the  top  rail,  and  the  dear  knows  how  many 
panels  of  it  came  down  with  a  crash,  and  Bob  came 
down  too,  and  Hunt  with  him.  But  before  the  young 
planter  could  escape  from  the  general  wreck  the  ox 
was  on  his  feet  and  away  again.  The  excited  ox  paid 
no  more  attention  to  the  bluff,  but  struck  off  across 
the  plantation  at  his  best  speed.  Hunt's  warmest 
wish  was  for  a  third  hand,  that  he  might  hold  to  both 
horns  and  the  lashing  tail  at  the  same  time. 

To  slide  over  the  ox's  head  was  impossible  on 
account  of  the  horns,  but  it  occurred  to  the  uncertain 
rider  in  the  nick  of  time  that  there  are  two  ends  to  an 
ox.  Once  he  was  off  and  dragging  alongside,  still 
\holding  to  one  horn ;  but  again  Bob  was  brought  to 
his  knees,  and  the  rider  regained  his  precarious  seat. 
Then  away  again,  and  as  they  passed  the  stable  door 
for  the  second  time  at  a  mad  run  Hunt  slid  back  over 
Bob's  haunches  and  slipped  to  the  ground  on  his  feet, 


THE  FAMILY  IN  THE  BRICE  CREEK  HOME.    99 

almost  as  glad  to  reach  solid  land  as  when  he  landed 
at  Norfolk  from  the  steamer. 

"  The  ox  is  a  gentle  animal,  and  very  good  to  draw 
wood,  but  no  use  for  a  saddle  horse,"  he  called  to 
Mary,  who  now  came  slowly  up  on  the  pony.  And 
Bob,  seeing  his  master  at  the  stable  door,  thought  of 
his  supper,  and  walked  back  as  sedately  as  if  nothing 
could  induce  him  to  move  faster  than  a  walk. 

"  I  like  him  for  his  spirit,'^  Mary  laughed,  "  and  I 
am  going  to  get  Fanny  some  corn  for  cupper.  You 
feed  Bob,  will  you?" 

"  Yes,  I  will  feed  this  battering-ram,"  Hunt  replied, 
"  and  after  we  have  fed  ^  the  critters '  we  must  have 
some  supper  ourselves." 

Both  of  the  young  planters  were  hungry,  and  both 
looked  forward  with  pleasure  to  the  supper,  remem- 
bering the  fat  roe  shad  that  Hunt  had  run  over  to  the 
Market  Wharf  to  buy  as  they  passed  it,  and  that  had 
come  home  in  the  cart  between  the  cotton  and  the 
feed.  That  shad  was  worth  from  seventy-five  cents 
to  one  dollar  in  the  market ;  but  as  Hunt  had  given 
the  fisherman  more  than  a  dollar's  worth  of  assistance 
with  his  boat  one  day  when  the  fisherman's  seine  was 
in  a  tangle,  it  cost  nothing. 


CHAPTER  VIII. 

"  cone-plantin'  time." 

The  materials  for  the  spoon  bread  were  thoroughly 
mixed  when  Mary  cooked  the  supper  after  the  race 
on  the  bluff;  her  hands  shook  so  with  laughter  that 
they  could  not  help  being  well  mixed.  Hunt  read 
the  recipe  to  her,  and  she  had  no  trouble  with  it. 

"  Shad  in  February  !"  she  exclaimed,  as  she  turned 
the  well-browned  fish  in  the  frying-pan.  ^'  Sometimes 
we  used  to  get  one  up  in  Ontario  County  by  June, 
but  never  many  of  them  at  any  time  of  year.'' 

"Ah,  there  is  no  Neuse  River  flowing  through 
Ontario  County,"  Hunt  answered,  "  nor  Trent  either, 
nor  Brice  Creek.  They  had  shad  here  by  the  last  of 
January;  but  this  is  not  February,  Mary,  this  is 
March.  You  are  sure  to  get  a  little  mixed  about  the 
months  when  you  first  come  into  this  Avarmer  climate, 
as  I  did.  I  can  hardly  realize  that  our  winter  is 
fairly  over,  for  we  have  hardly  had  any  yet.  Some- 
times in  January,"  he  continued,  "  I  needed  a  fire  to 
keep  warm  by ;  but  did  you  notice  the  buds  on  the 
trees  as  we  came  up  the  road  from  James  City  ?  You 
know  what  that  means,  Mary ;  a  few  more  days  of 
this  warm  weather  will  turn  those  buds  into  leaves, 
and  that  means  spring.     The  grass  is  turning  green, 

100 


'' CONE'PLANTIN'  TIMEr  101 

too,  what  there  is  of  it.  There's  not  much  grass 
about  here  compared  with  what  we  have  up  in  New 
York  State,  but  there  are  plenty  of  other  things." 

"  You're  almost  a  farmer  yourself,  Mary,"  he  went 
on,  "  and  you  know  what  corn-plan  tin'  time  means, 
don't  you  ?  Only  down  here  you  must  say  cone,  and 
speak  of  the  Cote  House  when  you  mean  the  Court 
House,  or  people  won't  know  what  you  mean." 

"  Of  co'se  I  know  cone-plantin'  time  !'^  Mary 
laughed.  "  Up  No'th  it's  the  tenth  of  May,  if  you 
have  an  almanac.  If  you  have  no  almanac,  you  put 
yo'  han'  on  de  groun',  an'  if  de  groun'  gives  it  heat 
'stid  of  takin'  de  heat  away,  den  begin  to  plant  yo' 
cone." 

"  Why,  you're  getting  the  North  Carolina  dialect 
already  !"  Hunt  declared  ;  "  but  you  must  get  the  hang 
of  the  No'th  Ca'line  plan  tin'  seasons,  and  that's  what 
I  want  to  explain  to  you.  Down  here  we  plant  corn  by 
the  last  of  March,  and  you  know  what  that  means,  for 
when  you  plant  corn  you  want  to  have  your  peas, 
beans,  and  all  the  rest  of  your  garden  truck  in  the 
ground.  I  want  to  get  that  done,  so  as  to  have  our 
garden  all  made  before  cotton-plantin'  time.  We  plant 
cotton  by  the  first  of  May,  and  that  means  plenty  of 
work." 

^^  Sit  right  down  to  your  supper,  Hunt,  dear !" 
Mary  answered.  "You  can't  plant  any  garden  or 
cotton  in  here  to-night,  but  we've  got  a  lot  of  work  to 
do  making  mattresses  and  pillows  and  things." 

The  supper  was  soon  disposed  of,  but  it  did  not 


102  PINE  RIDGE  PLANTATION. 

take  the  brother  and  sister  long  to  find  that  making 
two  mattresses  and  a  number  of  pillows  was  work  for 
more  than  one  evening. 

For  two  days  Hunt  was  at  work  at  the  cotton  gin 
in  New  Bern,  and  when  he  returned  at  the  end  of  the 
second  day  the  mattresses  and  pillows  were  neatly 
made,  and  there  were  sash  curtains  to  both  the  win- 
dows, and  another  curtain  over  the  pans  that  hung 
upon  the  wall.  The  cabin  had  never  looked  so  home- 
like before,  and  that  night  Mary  in  her  room  and 
Hunt  in  the  other  thought  the  Hyde  County  beds 
the  most  comfortable  sleeping  machines  known  to 
man. 

"But  you  ought  have  let  me  help  with  all  this 
sew^ing,'^  Hunt  called  through  the  open  door,  a  blaze 
of  light-wood  sticks  illuminating  both  rooms. 

"You  have  enough  to  do  outside,'^  Mary  called 
back,  "  and  I  want  to  do  my  share  of  the  work." 

Hunt  had  brought  some  very  large  spikes  home 
with  him  from  New  Bern,  and  next  day  he  took  Bob 
and  the  cart  to  the  saw-mill,  and  returned  with  several 
large  two-inch  planks,  which  in  due  time  were  con- 
verted into  a  home-made  harrow.  "  I  bought  a  plow 
long  ago  from  Mr.  Vincent,"  he  explained,  "  and  now 
with  that  and  the  harrow  we  are  ready  to  prepare  the 
ground  for  the  first  planting." 

A  few  days  later  Hunt  brought  Bob  into  the  kitchen 
garden  hitched  to  the  plow,  and  plowed  it  as  smoothly 
as  he  could,  and  after  harrowing  it,  raked  it  down 
neatly  with  the  iron  rake  he  had  brought  from  New 


"  CONE-PLANTIN'   TIME."  103 

Bern,  and  then  plowed  and  harrowed  a  small  part  of 
the  ground  outside  of  the  garden. 

This  done,  both  the  young  planters  went  over  to 
New  Bern  with  the  ox  and  cart,  Mary  carrying 
Buster's  big  basket,  which,  when  they  returned,  was 
filled  with  early  cabbage  plants,  lettuce  plants,  and 
tomato  plants.  And  in  the  cart  lay  two  bags,  not 
quite  full,  of  commercial  fertilizer.  There  were  some 
packages  of  beans  and  peas,  too,  in  the  basket,  for 
seed,  and  between  the  bags  of  fertilizer  lay  part  of  a 
bag  of  white  potatoes,  for  planting. 

Mary  worked  beside  her  brother  like  an  experienced 
farm  hand  when  they  began  to  plant  the  garden,  and 
set  out  a  large  share  of  the  plants  after  Hmit  had 
marked  and  fertilized  the  hills  and  rows. 

"  I  don't  quite  understand  this,  Hunt,"  she  said, 
when  they  rested  before  the  fire  of  light  wood  after 
supper.  "  We  are  planting  a  little  garden  stuff  for 
our  own  use,  but  no  feed  for  the  animals,  much  less 
any  to  sell.  Why  don't  you  plant  the  rest  of  the 
land  ?" 

"  Because  that  is  for  cotton,"  Hunt  answered.  "  I 
am  saving  nearly  all  of  it,  fully  four  acres,  for  cotton. 
It  is  cotton  that  we  must  look  to  mainly  for  our  ready 
money,  and  the  feed  we  must  buy  till  we  are  able  to 
buy  some  more  land." 

"On  four  acres  of  land,"  he  continued,  "we  should 
raise  two  bales  of  cotton,  with  good  luck  and  good 
management ;  and  the  price  of  two  bales  of  cotton 
will  buy  lots  of  feed,  and  maybe  some  more  land." 


104  PINE  RIDGE  PLANTATION. 

"  Then  I  think  we  ought  to  have  more  land  !"  Mary 
exclaimed,  putting  on  another  stick  of  light  wood. 

"  I  am  keeping  my  eyes  open,  Mary,''  Hunt 
answered,  "  but  we  must  feel  our  way.  There  is  a 
patch  of  seven  acres  of  woodland  adjoining  this, 
belonging  to  a  colored  man,  and  he  wants  to  sell  it  to 
me  for  five  dollars  an  acre.  This  patch  was  a  great 
bargain,  you  know,  at  two  dollars  an  acre,  and  we 
can't  expect  to  get  any  more  at  that  price.  I  should 
like  to  buy  the  woodland  at  five  dollars  an  acre,  for 
I  think  I  can  cut  enough  wood  on  it  almost  to  pay 
for  it ;  but  I  must  have  the  money  for  our  coming 
cotton  before  we  can  afford  it.  Then  my  plan  would 
be  to  clear  and  fence  it  next  winter,  and  plant  more 
cotton  next  year.  We  could  fence  off  a  place  there 
for  our  hogs  to  run,  too — the  hogs  that  we  hope  soon 
to  have." 

"  That  will  be  splendid !"  Mary  cried.  "  That  begins 
to  look  like  growing  into  a  real  plantation.  And  I 
want  to  find  some  way  to  make  my  share  of  the 
money,  Hunt." 

By  the  last  of  March  the  rows  of  early  peas  were 
up,  and  Hunt  had  put  sticks  to  them,  and  some  sweet 
corn  for  their  own  use  had  been  planted.  The  potatoes 
were  just  beginning  to  show. 

"  But  why  do  you  plant  white  potatoes.  Hunt  ?" 
Mary  asked,  one  day.  "  Everybody  about  here  plants 
sweet  potatoes." 

"  Correct !"  Hunt  answered.  "  Everybody  plants 
sweet  potatoes,  and  that  makes  them  very  cheap.     So 


"  CONE-PLANTIN'   TIME:*  105 

I  plant  white  ones,  which  cost  much  more.  Every 
bushel  of  our  white  potatoes  will  buy  half  a  dozen 
bushels  of  sweet  ones,  if  we  want  them/' 

In  the  interval  between  the  time  of  making  garden, 
and  the  time  for  plowing  the  ground  to  plant  his 
cotton.  Hunt  was  at  work  for  wages  nearly  every  day, 
increasing  as  far  as  possible  his  little  hoard  of  money. 
There  was  not  as  much  to  be  done  now  at  the  cotton 
gin,  because  the  cotton  of  the  last  crop  had  been 
pretty  well  brought  in  and  sold  oflP;  so  the  gin  itself 
had  many  idle  days.  This  was  fully  made  up,  how- 
ever, by  the  spring  activity  on  Mr.  Vincent's  truck 
farm,  where  work  was  now  to  be  had  nearly  every  dry 
day.  The  saw-mill  on  Brice  Creek  was  another 
chance  for  employment ;  and  Hunt  extended  his  field 
of  operations  in  New  Bern,  where  the  shore  of  the 
Neuse  River  is  almost  lined  with  large  saw-mills.  To 
enlarge  his  field  still  further,  he  applied  successfully 
for  work  at  the  cotton-seed  oil  mill,  where,  while 
earning  his  daily  pay,  he  saw  the  shapely  cotton  seeds 
pressed  till  pure  oil  flowed  from  them,  and  saw  the 
husks  remaining  ground  into  cotton-seed  meal,  an  oily 
substance  much  liked  by  cattle,  and  a  fertilizer  much 
in  demand.  It  surprised  him  to  learn  that  the  product 
of  a  given  area  of  cotton  land  is  twice  as  much  in 
seed,  by  weight,  as  in  the  cotton  fibre  itself,  so  that 
if  ten  acres  produce  two  thousand  five  hundred 
pounds  of  cotton,  the  weight  of  the  seeds  is  five  thou- 
sand pounds,  which  are  worth  usually  twelve  dollars 
a  ton. 


106  PINE  RIDGE  PLANTATION. 

The  cotton-seed  oil  mill  is  far  up  East  Front  Street 
in  New  Bern,  up  beyond  the  Neuse  Kiver  bridge  and 
the  ice  factory,  and  when  Hunt  was  walking  down 
the  street  one  afternoon  on  an  errand  for  his  employer, 
he  was  surprised  to  see  a  pony  that  looked  remark- 
ably like  Fanny  coming  up  the  street,  ridden  by  a  girl 
who  looked  remarkably  like  Mary,  and  who  carried 
in  one  hand,  holding  it  out  as  far  as  possible  from  her, 
something  wet  and  shiny,  that  was  unmistakably  a 
string  of  large  fish. 

"  Why,  Mary  !"  he  exclaimed,  when  within  speak- 
ing distance,  and  stepped  into  the  street  to  her  side. 

"  Hello,  Hunt !''  Mary  answered,  holding  her  fish 
higher  to  let  him  admire  them.  "  Not  going  home 
yet,  are  you?  If  you  are  you  can  take  the  pony, 
and  rU  walk." 

"  No,  we  don't  close  down  till  six,''  Hunt  answered ; 
"  but  where  in  the  world  did  you  get  your  fish,  and 
what  are  you  going  to  do  with  them  ?" 

"  Caught  them,  to  be  sure,"  Mary  laughed,  "  and 
I'm  going  to  sell  them,  because  that's  what  I  catch 
them  for.  I  bring  some  over  to  New  Bern  nearly 
every  day  to  sell,  and  take  them  to  the  white  people's 
houses.  They  sell  well,  and  I  am  doing  quite  a  busi- 
ness.    You  know  what  they  are,  I  suppose  ?" 

"  Of  course  I  know,"  Hunt  replied.  "  They  are 
what  are  called  here  Welshmen,  a  great  big  black  bass, 
and  Brice  Creek  is  where  they  live.  But  I  don't 
imderstand  this." 

"  It's   very  easy,"    Mary   laughed.     "  I   take   the 


"CONE-PLANTIN'   TIME.^'  107 

Maria  Louise  out  into  the  creek  in  the  early  morning, 
but  never  into  the  river,  because  I  know  you  wouldn't 
want  me  to  go  there.  First  I  catch  some  ^  shiners ' 
for  bait,  and  the  fish  are  fine  big  fellows,  weighing 
from  four  to  six  pounds.  I'm  not  going  to  have  you 
do  all  the  work  and  I  stay  at  home  doing  nothing,  so 
I  bring  them  over  here  to  sell  to  the  white  people. 
I  have  sold  more  than  twenty  of  them  in  the  last 
week,  at  from  twenty  to  thirty  cents  each.  They  are 
a  fine  fish  for  the  table,  and  they  sell  better  than  shad, 
because  shad  are  so  much  dearer." 

"  But  you  don't  mean  to  say  that  you  have  been 
catching  and  selling  fish  for  a  week  !"  Hunt  exclaimed. 

"  Don't  I,  then  !"  Mary  laughed,  "  and  I  expect  to 
sell  the  rest  of  these,  before  I  go  home.  It's  my  little 
mite  toward  the  plantation.  Hunt,  and  here  it  is ; " 
and  as  she  spoke  she  held  up  and  shook  her  little 
purse,  in  which  the  silver  jingled. 

^^  Well,  that  beats  me  !"  Hunt  retorted.  "  I  declare 
I  don't  know  what  to  say  about  it.  I  didn't  know  you 
understood  baiting  a  hook,  much  less  catching  a  fish." 

"  We  want  a  plantation.  Hunt,  and  we've  got  to 
earn  it,"  Mary  laughed.  "Don't  you  be  alarmed 
about  niy  going  in  the  boat,  for  I  never  use  the  sail, 
but  just  take  the  oars.  I'm  going  to  learn  how  to 
manage  that  boat,  though.  The  creek  and  river  are 
both  full  of  money,  and  we  may  as  well  have  some 
of  it.  Come  home  as  early  as  you  can.  Hunt,  for  I 
have  saved  a  big  Welshman  for  our  own  suppers,  and 
you  will  find  they  are  good  eating." 


108  PINE  RIDGE  PLANTATION, 

"  Mary,  you  are  a  trump  !''  Hunt  declared ;  "  and 
I  am  glad  to  have  you  for  a  chum.  How  well  Fanny 
is  looking.     I  hope  Rover  and  Buster  are  all  right." 

"  I  thought  they  would  tear  the  house  down  when 
I  locked  them  in/'  Mary  replied.  "  Buster  gives  his 
approval  to  the  Hyde  County  beds,  and  sleeps  in  mine 
every  night.  Rover  was  testing  the  quality  of  one  of 
your  pillows  when  I  shut  the  door.  They  both  go 
fishing  with  me  nearly  every  morning,  and  I  don't 
know  what  we  should  do  without  them.  Now  do  try 
to  be  home  early,  Hunt." 

"  I'll  be  in  time  for  the  "Welshman,  never  fear !" 
Hunt  called  back,  he  having  resumed  his  way  down 
the  street.  "  I  shall  have  to  stop  a  few  minutes  in 
James  City,  for  I  have  a  little  business  with  a  promi- 
nent citizen  there  about  a  litter  of  pigs." 


CHAPTER  IX. 

GENEEAL   MILES   EATS   A   WELSHMAN. 

"  What  was  the  queer  name  you  gave  the  fish  you 
had  to-day  V^  Hunt  asked,  when  he  returned  to  the 
budding  plantation  for  supper.  "  It  was  not  Dutch- 
man or  Frenchman,  but  something  like  that.'' 

"  No,  Welshman/'  Mary  laughed,  touching  a  match 
to  the  light-wood  to  prepare  for  cooking  the  Welsh- 
man that  was  to  make  their  meal.  "You  got  the 
wrong  country,  that  was  all.  It  is  a  queer  name, 
isn't  it  ?  But  that  is  the  only  name  by  which  black 
bass  of  that  species  are  known  about  here.  Some- 
times when  I  go  along  the  street  with  a  string  of 
them,  a  colored  man  or  woman  stops  to  look  at  them, 
and  says,  'Dat  a  nice  string  o'  Welchmans  you  got 
dah  dis  mawnin',  missy.' " 

In  the  morning  Hunt  tried  to  persuade  his  sister 
not  to  go  fish-catching  and  fish-selling  that  day,  and 
the  little  dispute  that  followed  ended  in  a  compromise, 
as  disputes  between  them  generally  did. 

"  I  ought  to  have  a  chance  to  make  some  of  the 
money  we  are  sure  to  need.  Hunt,"  Mary  urged. 

"  You  are  a  brave  little  sister  to  want  to  do  it," 
Hunt  retorted ;  "  but  I  think  it  is  my  place  to  make 
the  money,  and  I  don't  half  like  your  going  fishing 

109 


110  PINE  BIDGE  PLANTATION. 

alone.  It  is  not  because  I  have  any  foolish  notions 
about  your  selling  fish.  We  are  working  people,  both 
of  us,  and  we  must  be  money-making  people  as  far  as 
we  can.  But  I  know  you  do  not  know  how  to  swim, 
and  if  anything  should  happen,  you  might  be  drowned. 
You  must  learn  to  swim  when  the  water  gets  warm 
enough,  and  then  there  will  be  less  danger.'^ 

"  Rover  would  pull  me  out  fast  enough  if  anything 
should  happen,"  Mary  replied,  "for  he  always  goes 
with  me,  and  he  is  a  great  swimmer.  But  the  oars 
are  always  in  my  hands,  and  they  would  support  me.'' 

"  You  are  late  to  start  for  the  oil  mill  this  morning. 
Hunt,''  she  continued,  "or  I  should  ask  you  to  go 
fishing  for  Welshmen  with  me." 

"  No,  there  is  no  work  in  the  oil  mill  to-day,"  Hunt 
answered,  "  or  I  should  have  been  off  long  ago.  But 
that  will  give  me  all  the  better  chance  to  go  fishing 
with  you  this  morning,  if  you  really  want  me." 

"  Of  course  I  want  you,"  Mary  assured  him ;  "  you 
know  I  always  like  to  be  with  you.  And  you  are 
just  in  time  to  do  me  a  great  service,  if  you  will,  and 
help  my  little  ^  fishery '  very  much.  We  will  have  to 
go  after  bait  first,  and  maybe  you  will  make  me  a 
leaky  box  that  I  can  keep  the  bait  alive  in.  If  you 
will,  I  will  make  a  little  coffee  for  our  breakfast  while 
you  are  about  it." 

"  It  is  easier  to  make  a  leaky  box  than  a  tight  one," 
Hunt  replied,  "  and  I  have  some  bits  of  board  that 
will  do  very  well.  But  tell  me  about  the  bait,  so 
that  I  will  know  what  you  want." 


GENERAL  MILES  EATS  A    WELSHMAN.     Ill 

"Any  sort  of  box  that  will  let  the  water  run 
through/'  Mary  replied,  as  Hunt  took  up  his  hatchet 
and  saw  and  started  out.  "The  bait  are  only  the 
little  fish  we  call  '  shiners/  as  small  as  sardines,  and 
I  catch  them  with  a  small  hook  and  hue,  with  a 
crumb  of  bread  for  bait.  They  should  be  kept  alive, 
and  I  want  to  keep  them  in  the  box,  which  we  must 
anchor  in  the  creek,  of  course.  And  we  must  catch 
some  '  shiners '  this  morning  before  we  can  catch  any 
Welshmen,  and  maybe  there  will  be  enough  left  for 
me  to  use  in  the  future." 

By  the  time  that  the  coffee  was  made  the  crude  box 
was  ready,  and  after  drinking  their  coffee  they  carried 
the  box  down  to  the  creek  and  "  anchored  "  it  with  a 
stout  cord  to  a  bush  on  the  edge. 

Then  with  great  glee  they  stepped  into  the  boat  and 
shoved  her  off,  and  fell  to  fishing  for  "  shiners "  with 
a  tiny  hook  and  line.  This  took  them  to  many  dif- 
ferent places  in  the  creek,  and  back  to  the  box,  and 
the  sun  was  high  above  them  before  they  were  ready 
for  the  more  serious  fishing. 

Hunt  insisted  upon  doing  the  work  with  the  oars, 
and  they  tried  this  spot  and  that,  up  and  down  the 
creek,  clear  water  and  dark,  deep  water  and  shallow, 
without  getting  a  single  bite. 

"  You're  the  old  fisherman  !"  Hunt  exclaimed  after 
awhile,  "  and  you  ought  to  know  the  best  places  for 
them.  Can't  you  pick  out  some  choice  spot  where  we 
are  sure  to  hook  a  big  one  ?" 

"  I  think  I  am  fisherman  enough  for  that,"  Mary 


112  PINE  RIDGE  PLANTATION. 

answered.  "  Do  you  see  that  stake  that  somebody 
has  left  in  the  water  over  there  close  by  the  other 
shore?  Go  over  there  close  to  the  stake  as  quietly 
as  you  can,  and  there  I  think  we  will  catch  our 
breakfast,  for  the  Welshmen  are  fond  of  huddling 
around  a  stake  or  a  stump  or  any  immovable 
thing/' 

Hunt  drew  the  boat  noiselessly  over  to  the  stake, 
and  for  a  few  minutes  neither  spoke  above  a  whisper, 
for  fear  of  frightening  away  the  fish.  Then  it  was 
Mary  who  gave  the  cry  of  delight,  for  she  drew  in 
one  of  the  largest  Welshmen  she  had  yet  caught,  a 
monstrous  fellow  weighing  fully  six  pounds,  they 
thought. 

Then  Hunt  took  up  the  oars  again,  for  that  one 
fish  was  more  than  enough  for  their  breakfast  or 
dinner,  and  the  boat  was  soon  back  at  their  landing- 
place.  Mary  carried  the  fish  up  to  the  house.  Hunt 
declaring  that  judging  by  the  sun  it  must  be  close  to 
ten  o'clock,  and  they  shut  the  door  and  wound  their 
lines  neatly  upon  reels,  after  which  the  fish  was  cleaned 
and  hung  up. 

"I  wish  we  could  always  fish  together,  Hunt," 
Mary  said,  after  all  the  work  was  done ;  "  then  fishing 
would  be  only  a  pleasure." 

"  Hark  !  what's  that  ?"  Hunt  exclaimed,  holding 
up  a  warning  finger ;  for  both  the  dogs,  having  run 
out  when  the  door  was  opened  on  the  couple's  return, 
had  set  up  a  furious  barking  outside. 

"  Bow,  wow,  wow !"  they  heard  in  the  deep  bass 


GENERAL  MILES  EATS  A    WELSHMAN.      113 

voice  of  Rover,  and  then  a  prolonged  "  wow,  wow, 
oo!''  in  the  scarcely  less  loud  voice  of  Buster,  and  im- 
mediately afterward  a  human  voice,  calling: 
"  Halloo  !  halloo  there,  in  the  house  !'^ 
"  Hist  !'^  Hunt  warned  his  sister,  and  springing  up, 
opened  the  door. 

"  Here,  Rover,  here.  Buster,  come  here,  sir!'^  he 
called,  and  both  dogs  sprang  in,  but  Hunt  stepped 
out.  The  barking  had  prepared  him  to  see  a  stranger 
on  the  premises,  but  he  was  not  prepared  to  see  such 
a  stranger  as  he  did  see.  When  he  looked  about  he 
saw  walking  along  the  bluff  a  tall,  erect,  well-dressed, 
soldierly-looking  gentleman,  whose  equal  in  bearing 
he  had  seldom  if  ever  seen.  Without  stopping  to 
wonder  what  so  fine  a  gentleman  could  want  on  the 
little  plantation,  he  ran  down  through  the  garden  to 
the  bluff  to  greet  him,  and  when  he  reached  the  bluff 
saw  a  strange  boat  in  the  creek  below,  containing  a 
colored  man  who  had  evidently  rowed  the  gentleman 
over. 

As  Hunt  stepped  up  to  the  distinguished-looking 
stranger,  the  latter  turned  toward  him  and  raised  his 
hand  to  his  head  as  if  to  give  a  military  salute,  but 
changed  his  mind  and  raised  his  hat. 

"  Good  morning,"  he  said.  "  Mr.  Jerome's  place 
is  somewhere  about  here,  I  believe ;  can  you  tell 
me  where  it  is  ?'' 

"  No,  sir,"  Hunt  replied,  taking  off  his  own  hat  as 
politely  as  he  could.  "  I  am  a  stranger  here  myself, 
and  do  not  know  much  about  the  places." 

8 


114  PINE  RIDGE  PLANTATION. 

"  Oh,  you  are  a  stranger  here,  are  you  ?''  the  gen- 
tleman asked,  with  a  smile.  "And,  judging  from 
your  accent,  I  should  say  you  were  from  the  North,'^ 
he  continued,  "  so  perhaps  you  can  tell  me  where  I 
can  get  a  bite  of  breakfast  in  this  neighborhood,  as  I 
am  from  the  North  too.'' 

"  Is  this  the  first  time  you  have  been  in  the  South, 
sir  ?"    Hunt  asked. 

"  No,  my  young  friend  from  the  North,  I  have 
been  in  the  South  before,"  the  gentleman  answered, 
with  a  significant  smile  that  the  young  planter  did 
not  understand. 

"  But  when  I  was  here  before,"  he  continued,  "  I 
had  some  very  good  guides,  and  this  time  I  have  lost 
myself.  I  came  over  from  New  Bern  early  to  visit 
my  relative,  Mr.  Jerome,  expecting  to  breakfast  with 
him,  and  as  I  cannot  find  his  place  I  shall  be  glad  if 
you  can  tell  me  where  I  can  get  a  bite  to  eat." 

"  I  do  not  know  of  any  place  but  my  own  house, 
sir,"  Hunt  replied,  waving  his  hand  toward  the  cabin. 
"  It  is  only  a  small  house,  but  we  have  a  good  fat 
Welshman  there  ready  to  be  cooked,  and  I  should  be 
glad  for  such  good  company  to  breakfast,  sir." 

"  Oh,  thank  you  very  much  for  your  hospitality," 
the  gentleman  said  with  a  merry  little  laugh,  raising 
his  hat  again.  "  You  are  very  kind  indeed,  and  it  will 
be  an  agreeable  novelty  to  help  eat  a  Welshman,  for 
I  don't  remember  that  I  have  ever  eaten  one." 

"  Then  if  you  will  lead  the  way,  my  friend,  I  will 
help  devour  the  foreigner  with  great  pleasure.     By 


GENERAL  MILES  EATS  A    WELSHMAN.     115 

the  way,  perhaps  it  would  be  as  well  for  us  to  know 
one  another's  names.     My  name  is  Miles." 

"  Thank  you,  Mr.  Miles,"  Hunt  answered,  "  my 
name  is  Huntley  Robertson,  sir,  and  I  am  trying  to 
build  up  a  little  cotton  plantation  here,  sir." 

"Then  I  wish  you  every  success,  Mr.  Huntley 
Robertson,"  the  stranger  answered,  with  a  bow  and 
another  smile,  "and  I  believe  that  you  will  have  it, 
for  your  place  has  every  appearance  of  thrift  and 
industry." 

Hunt  led  the  stranger  straight  up  to  the  door  of  the 
cabin,  which  he  threw  open,  and  invited  him  in. 

"  Oh,  you  have  a  lady  with  you  !"  the  visitor  ex- 
claimed, as  he  caught  sight  of  Mary. 

"  My  sister,  Mary  Robertson,  sir,"  Hunt  explained. 
"  Mary,  let  me  introduce  Mr.  Miles,  from  the  North, 
who  is  going  to  eat  breakfast  with  us." 

"Good  morning,  Miss  Mary,  I  am  very  happy  to 
meet  you,"  the  gentleman  said,  stepping  in  and  re- 
moving his  hat.  "  Your  brother  has  been  good  enough 
to  invite  me  to  stay  to  breakfast,  and  I  am  very  glad 
to  accept  the  invitation.  You  have  a  snug  little  home 
here.  Miss  Mary." 

"  We  are  very  comfortable  here,  sir,"  Mary  an- 
swered, "  and  if  you  will  take  a  seat,  I  will  have  some 
breakfast  ready  in  a  few  minutes,  sir." 

"  Mr.  Miles  "  seated  himself  upon  the  bench,  and 
somehow  it  seemed  to  Hunt  as  if  the  cabin  looked 
larger  and  grander  than  it  had  ever  looked  before, 
with  so  fine  a  gentleman  sitting  in  it.     Mary  soon 


116  PINE  RIDGE  PLANTATION. 

had  the  coffee  boihng  and  a  pan  of  spoon  bread  made, 
and  the  Welshman  browned  nicely  for  the  table. 

When  all  was  ready  the  table  was  spread,  and  the 
visitor  did  full  justice  to  the  smoking  Welshman, 
making,  as  he  ate,  some  humorous  remarks  about  eat- 
ing a  subject  of  a  friendly  nation. 

"  This  is  altogether  the  j  oiliest  meal  I  have  eaten 
in  North  Carolina,  Miss  Mary,"  he  declared ;  but  be- 
fore either  of  them  could  answer  their  attention  was 
attracted  by  something  that  sounded  remarkably  like 
the  music  of  a  brass  band,  and  Hunt,  excusing  himself 
for  a  moment,  stepped  outside  to  see  what  such  an 
unusual  demonstration  could  mean.  He  was  just  in 
time  to  see  a  file  of  about  thirty  marines  in  uniform 
and  with  muskets,  commanded  by  an  officer  with  a 
sword,  and  accompanied  by  a  band  of  six  pieces, 
march  through  the  gate  into  his  garden  patch,  the 
band  playing. 

It  was  the  most  imposing  military  display  he  had 
ever  seen,  and  the  sight  almost  took  him  off  his  feet, 
and  made  him  reflect  for  a  moment  that  the  Civil 
War  was  surelv  over. 

By  this  time  the  officer  with  the  sword  was  almost 
up  to  the  door,  with  the  marines  and  the  still-playing 
band  only  a  few  paces  behind. 

"Good  morning,  sir,"  the  officer  said  to  Hunt, 
stepping  forward  and  giving  a  military  salute.  "  Is 
General  Miles  in  this  house  ?" 

"  There  is  a  gentleman  here  named  Miles,"  Hunt 
answered ;  but  before  he  could  say  more  the  visitor 


GENERAL  MILES  EATS  A    WELSHMAN.      117 

himself  stood  in  the  doorway,  attracted  by  the 
noise. 

Instantly  the  officer^s  cap  came  off. 

"  Right  about  face !"  he  ordered,  and  the  marines 
and  musicians  turned  as  one  man,  to  face  the  doorway. 

"  Shoulder  arms  !'' 

"  Present  arms  !'^  and  up  went  the  thirty  muskets 
like  one. 

"General  Miles,"  said  the  officer,  drawing  his 
sword,  "  we  are  from  the  Revenue  Cutter  Boutwell, 
sir,  and  Captain  Homson  has  brought  her  over  to 
carry  you  back  to  New  Bern  when  you  are  ready  to 
go,  sir.  She  now  lies  in  the  river  Trent  at  the  mouth 
of  this  creek,  sir,  and  we  have  several  boats  below  the 
bluff  to  take  you  aboard  when  it  suits  your  convenience, 
Sir. 

The  gentleman's  head  was  bare,  for  his  shining  hat 
still  lay  upon  the  Hyde  County  bed  ;  but  with  the  in- 
stinct of  a  soldier  he  instantly  drew  himself  up  to  his 
full  height,  which  was  considerable,  and  ordered : 

"  Ground  arms !" 

"  At  rest !'' 

"Thank  you,  sir,"  he  said  to  the  officer,  as  these 
orders  were  executed.  "  We  are  just  finishing  an  ex- 
cellent breakfast,  and  as  I  have  a  hospitable  host  here 
I  am  sure  he  will  be  glad  to  have  you  step  in  and 
take  a  cup  of  coffee  with  us." 

"  I  am  afraid,  sir,"  the  officer  replied,  following  the 
general,  who  had  stepped  up  to  the  bed  to  get  his  hat, 
"  that  your  young  host  does  not  know  that  he  has  had 


118  _  PINE  BIDQE  PLANTATION. 

the  honor  of  breakfasting  with  Major-General  Nelson 
A.  Miles,  Commander-in-Chief  of  the  United  States 
Army." 

"Oh,  never  mind  about  titles,"  the  general  an- 
swered, with  a  laugh.  "My  young  host  has  given 
me  a  Welshman  for  breakfast,  which  I  have  enjoyed 
thoroughly.  But  I  must  not  keep  Captain  Howison 
waiting,  if  he  is  in  the  cutter  below.  I  shall  bid  my 
new  friends  good-bye  with  great  reluctance." 

As  he  spoke  he  stepped  outside,  followed  by  the 
officer  from  the  cutter ;  and  at  the  word  of  command 
the  marines  again  presented  arms. 

"  Ah,  these  colors  belong  to  the  cutter,  no  doubt," 
the  general  exclaimed,  as  he  noticed  that  one  of  the 
men  carried,  instead  of  a  musket,  a  small  brass-tipped 
staff,  to  which  was  attached  a  beautiful  silken  Ameri- 
can flag,  ornamented  Avith  gold  fringe. 

"  The  colors  of  the  captain's  gig,  sir,"  the  officer 
answered,  with  a  salute,  and  the  marine  stepped 
forward. 

"  I  am  sure  that  Captain  Howison  will  allow  me  to 
take  them,"  the  general  continued,  as  he  took  the  flag 
and  staff  that  the  man  held  out  toward  him. 

"  Huntley  !"  he  called ;  and  when  Hunt  ran  out 
with  a  prompt  "  Yes,  sir  !"  the  general  put  the  staff 
into  his  hands. 

"  Do  me  the  favor,"  he  said,  "  to  accept  this  testi- 
mony of  my  gratitude  for  your  hospitality  and  an 
excellent  breakfast.  Take  it,  my  boy,  it  is  the  flag 
of  your  country.     When  you  establish  a  plantation 


GENERAL  MILES  EATS  A    WELSHMAN.      119 

here,  as  I  am  sure  you  will,  let  these  colors  fly  over 
it.  Love  and  respect  these  stars  and  stripes.  Hunt, 
and  let  them  never  see  you  do  an  unworthy  action. 
Do  not  think  yourself  surrounded  by  enemies  because 
you  are  in  the  South,  but  remember  always  that 
North  Carolinians  are  loyal  citizens  of  the  United 
States,  who  will  help  you  to  honor  her  flag.  Now 
with  renewed  thanks  and  good  wishes  I  must  bid  you 
and  your  sister  good  morning." 

"  Thank  you,  sir !"  Hunt  managed  to  say,  as  in 
obedience  to  an  order  the  marines  formed  a  double 
line,  and  escorted  the  general  toward  the  bluff",  the 
band  playing. 

"  Mary  !  Mary !  see  here !"  Hunt  cried,  standing 
in  the  open  door-way,  where  his  sister  hastened  to 
join  him.  "  Do  you  know  what  tune  that  is  the 
band  is  playing?"  he  asked. 

"  That  is  '  The  Girl  I  left  Behind  Me !' "  Mary 
answered,  blushing  furiously,  and  bowing  her  thanks 
as  the  officer  turned  and  waved  his  sword.  But  there 
was  more  to  come,  for  at  the  very  edge  of  the  bluff* 
General  Miles  stopped  and  turned  also,  and  removing 
his  hat,  made  his  young  hostess  a  polite  bow. 

In  the  excitement,  Mary  still  bowing  and  smiling, 
Hunt  waved  his  flag,  and  they  heard  the  order  to 
"  halt !"  Waving  his  cap,  the  officer  ordered,  "  Three 
cheers  for  the  young  cotton  planter  and  the  flag !" 
and,  still  cheering,  the  procession  made  its  way  down 
the  steep  hillside  to  the  boats  that  lay  in  waiting  in 
the  creek. 


120 


PINE  BIDGE  PLANTATION. 


"  See  !''  Hunt  cried,  as  a  little  cloud  of  smoke  and 
fire  burst  from  the  distant  cutter's  side.  As  General 
Miles  stepped  into  the  captain's  gig,  the  cutter  fired 
one  gun  and  dipped  her  colors. 

Hunt  and  his  sister  ran  down  to  the  edge  of  the 
bluff,  and  were  just  in  time  to  see  the  procession  of 
row-boats  approaching  the  revenue  cutter.  All  the 
marines  left  on  board  were  drawn  up  at  "  present 
arms  "  at  the  head  of  the  gangway,  and  as  General 
Miles  set  foot  upon  the  deck  the  little  ship  fired  a 
salute  of  fifteen  guns,  the  salute  required  for  a  major- 
general  commanding  the  army,  and  a  few  moments 
later  the  cutter  was  steaming  leisurely  down  the  river 
Trent. 

"  It  seems  like  a  dream,  that  the  commander  of  the 
army  should  have  eaten  breakfast  with  us  in  our  little 
cabin,"  Mary  declared,  when  they  returned  to  clear 
away  the  remains  of  the  meal. 

"  Yes,  but  dreams  don't  leave  silk  flags  trimmed 
with  gold  fringe  !"  Hunt  exclaimed.  "  Of  course  you 
saw  Mr.  Vincent  pass  us  as  we  were  bringing  the  flag 
up.  But  did  you  notice  that  he  took  off  his  hat  to  it  ? 
He  is  a  southern  man,  you  know.  Ain't  I  glad  that 
I  took  off  mv  hat  before  the  monument  to  the  Con- 
federate  soldiers,  when  I  was  in  the  cemetery  over  in 
New  Bern  a  few  days  ago  ?  They  were  brave  men, 
sis,  and  I  am  glad  that  old  trouble  is  all  over.  We're 
not  here  to  make  war,  you  know,  but  to  grow  cotton." 

"  And  to  eat  Welshmen,"  Mary  laughed,  as  she  drew 
some  ashes  over  the  smouldering  embers  on  the  hearth. 


CHAPTER   X. 

FIEST    COTTON   PLANTS. 

After  the  entertainment  of  their  distinguished 
visitor  Hunt's  work  went  steadily  on,  in  the  cotton- 
seed oil  mill  or  wherever  he  could  make  daily  wages, 
and  Mary  continued  to  increase  her  little  store  of 
money  by  selling  fish  in  New  Bern.  Sometimes  when 
the  Welshmen  failed  she  had  speckled  perch,  white 
perch,  or  chub  to  offer.  This  daily  task,  however,  did 
not  prevent  her  from  ornamenting  the  yard  with  the 
flowers  of  which  she  was  fond,  nor  did  their  united 
labors  hinder  Hunt  and  his  sister  in  their  efforts  to 
procure  the  smaller  live  stock  which  was  so  necessary 
to  them. 

As  the  two  drove  in  the  ox-cart  through  James 
City  one  day  Mary  had  a  particular  reason  for  feeling 
grateful  that  the  eye  of  General  Miles  was  not  upon 
them  at  that  moment.  "  It  would  be  dreadful,''  she 
laughed,  "  if  he  were  to  see  this." 

"No,  that  would  be  nothing,"  Hunt  answered, 
laughing  in  his  turn,  "  we  are  doing  no  more  than 
our  duty,  as  he  always  does  himself;  these  pigs  and 
chickens  would  be  just  as  likely  to  run  away  from  him 
as  they  are  to  run  from  us." 

It  was  the  pigs  and  chickens  that  caused  the  delay 

121 


122  PINE  RIDGE  PLANTATION. 

in  returning  home.  They  had  visited  James  City  ex- 
pressly to  buy  enough  small  stock  to  inhabit  their 
poultry  yard  and  pigpen.  Six  well-grown  hens  and 
two  roosters  and  four  full-sized  ducks  and  a  drake  lay 
on  the  bottom  of  the  cart  with  their  legs  tied,  and  in 
the  basket  were  an  old  hen  and  a  brood  of  a  dozen 
little  chicks ;  these  alone  they  might  have  controlled, 
but  there  also  lay  on  the  bottom  of  the  cart  two  large 
pigs  of  the  variety  known  as  ^'  razor  backs,"  and  a 
litter  of  six  young  pigs,  all  black  as  coal. 

It  was  not  Hunt's  fault  that  the  two  old  pigs  freed 
themselves  from  their  fastenings  and  scampered  like 
mad  through  the  narrow  streets  of  James  City  and 
across  many  unkempt  back  yards,  or  that  the  little 
ones  dashed  away  after  them  squealing.  In  the  ex- 
citement several  of  the  hens  loosened  their  fastenings 
and  joined  in  the  run,  making  it  necessary  for  both 
Hunt  and  his  sister  to  chase  them  until  caught. 

This  made  great  sport  for  the  James  City  citizens, 
watching  a  white  boy  and  girl  chase  chickens,  and  they 
had  much  advice  to  give  and  many  remarks  to  make, 
but  on  the  whole  they  were  civil  and  respectful  in 
manner,  except  in  the  cases  of  several  young  colored 
men  who  had  only  too  evidently  been  tasting  the  wine 
of  the  country. 

These  young  fellows  managed  several  times  to  put 
themselves  directly  in  Hunt's  way  to  obstruct  him,  and 
when  he  was  far  enough  away  for  their  safety  they 
shouted  uncivil  remarks  at  Mary  about  "  po'  white 
trash  from  the  No'th  wukkin'  like  niggahs  an'  takin' 


FIRST  COTTON  PLANTS.  123 

the  bread  from  da  moufs ;"  but  seeing  that  they  had 
been  drinking,  she  paid  no  attention  to  them. 

When  the  runaway  animals  were  all  restored  to 
their  proper  places,  Hunt  told  his  sister  that  she  was 
invariably  to  let  him  know  if  any  of  the  residents  of 
James  City  were  uncivil  to  her. 

"  They  are  always  civil  when  they  are  sober,''  he 
added,  ^'  but  the  corn  whiskey  sold  in  these  little  shops 
sometimes  makes  them  ugly,  and  one  of  these  fine 
days  some  fellow  will  go  just  about  far  enough  to 
make  him  regret  it.'' 

"Oh,  I  hope  you  won't  have  any  trouble  with 
them  !"  Mary  exclaimed.  "  They  are  always  very 
obliging  when  sober,  and  the  drunken  ones  are  not 
worth  paying  any  attention  to." 

"  I  am  not  looking  for  trouble,  sis,"  Hunt  laughed. 
"  If  they  want  to  see  a  white  fellow  work  they  might 
come  around  some  day  when  I  am  planting  cotton." 

With  the  fowls  in  their  places  and  the  pigs  in  the 
pen,  much  enlivening  the  little  place,  Mary  had  less 
time  for  fishing  and  selling  her  catch,  as  she  insisted 
upon  taking  entire  charge  of  them ;  but  both  she  and 
Hunt  looked  forward  to  the  day  when  the  pigs,  having 
grown  both  in  size  and  in  numbers,  should  be  ready 
to  ornament  the  smoke-house. 

"  Ah,  Hunt,  Hunt,  do  come  here !"  she  cried,  one 
morning  after  going  out  to  the  pen  to  feed  them. 
"  There  is  a  yellow  pig  with  the  black  ones,  and  now 
we  have  seven  little  piggies  instead  of  six ;  just  come 
and  see  them." 


124  PINE  niDGE  PLANTATION. 

^'  Oh,  you  can't  fool  me  in  that  way  !''  Hunt  laughed. 
"  Of  course  you  know  that  the  yellow  little  piggy  is 
Buster,  and  he  seems  just  tickled  to  death/' 

"  Yes,  that  is  Buster,"  Mary  admitted,  half  smoth- 
ered with  laughter,  "  and  I  am  so  glad  for  him,  for  he 
has  had  no  little  companions.  I  think  he  recognizes 
long-lost  brothers  in  the  black  piggies." 

The  daily  feeding  of  corn  to  the  live  stock  was  a 
constant  reminder  that  their  own  corn  should  be  grow- 
ing, and  by  the  first  of  April  as  much  land  as  could 
be  spared  for  the  purpose  was  plowed  and  planted  in 
corn,  which,  with  plenty  of  fertilizer  and  under  the 
warm  April  sun,  soon  showed  its  tiny  green  blades. 

In  the  month's  interval  between  corn-planting  time 
and  cotton-planting  time  Hunt  put  up  some  shelves 
in  the  cabin  to  hold  the  books  that  he  intended  to  buy. 
This  and  hoeing  his  smaller  crops  took  much  of  his 
spare  time,  but  by  the  first  of  May  all  was  ready  for 
the  first  venture  in  cotton. 

"  What  fimny  times  for  planting  things  !"  Mary 
exclaimed  one  day  while  they  were  preparing  the 
corn  ground. 

"  Only  a  little  earlier  than  ours  at  home,"  Hunt 
answered.  "  We  plant  corn  here  by  the  first  of  April 
and  cotton  by  the  first  of  May.  And,  by  the  way, 
sis,"  he  continued,  ^'  I  am  going  over  to  town  to-day 
to  buy  the  fertilizer  for  the  cotton ;  there's  no  use 
trying  to  grow  cotton  without  fertilizer  Mr.  Burrus 
tells  me,  and  we  shall  need  two  hundred  pounds  to 
the  acre  ;  that  will  make  eight  hundred  pounds  for 


FIRST  COTTON  PLANTS.  125 

our  four  acres  of  cotton,  which  will  cost  us  eight 
dollars,  as  it  sells  for  twenty  dollars  a  ton." 

"And  how  much  cotton  ought  that  make  us?'' 
Mary  asked. 

"  Half  a  bale  to  the  acre  is  a  good  average  for  new 
land/'  Hunt  answered.  "  So  our  four  acres  ought  to 
produce  two  bales  if  we  have  no  bad  accidents." 

"Why,  what  do  you  mean  by  accidents?"  Mary 
asked.  "Isn't  cotton  a  sure  crop  after  it  is  once 
planted  ?" 

"  No  crop  is  sure,"  Hunt  replied ;  "  a  long  dry 
spell  soon  after  planting  w^ould  damage  it  very  much ; 
dry  weather  does  not  hurt  it  so  much  after  it  has 
grown  a  little,  for  the  cotton  plant  has  a  long  tap  root 
to  draw  up  moisture  from  the  lower  ground,  but  too 
much  rain  may  hurt  it  then,  and,  besides  that,  it  may 
be  injured  by  a  nasty  little  insect  called  the  cotton 
louse.  So  you  see  cotton  is  no  more  sure  than  any 
other  crop,  but  we  must  do  our  part  toward  making 
it  grow." 

When  the  cotton  land  was  prepared  for  planting  it 
was  smooth  and  level,  for  Hunt  had  learned  that  the 
deep  "water  furrows"  needed  in  rolling  land  were 
wholly  unnecessary  in  that  flat  country.  He  made 
the  drills  three  feet  and  four  inches  apart  and  sowed 
the  grayish  white  cotton  seeds  much  like  planting 
peas.  When  the  plants  were  a  few  inches  high  he 
made  a  "  scraper,"  in  imitation  of  the  one  used  by 
Mr.  Vincent,  and  scraped  the  ground  on  both  sides  of 
the  rows  to  destroy  the  young  weeds.     Then  a  fort- 


126  PINE  RIDGE  PLANTATION. 

night  later,  with  Mary's  help,  he  went  over  the  rows 
with  a  hoe  and  cut  out  the  superfluous  plants,  leaving 
the  "  hills"  about  sixteen  inches  apart  and  three  plants 
to  the  hill.  This,  as  he  knew  from  what  he  had  been 
told,  was  entirely  different  from  the  more  southern 
cotton  culture,  but  was  the  method  in  use  in  North 
Carolina. 

"Aren't  they  beautiful  little  plants?"  Mary  fre- 
quently asked,  as  she  joyfully  watched  their  increase 
in  size,  "  and  they  are  going  to  do  more  to  increase 
our  little  stock  of  money  than  all  the  fish  and  all  the 
firewood  and  all  the  working  in  the  mill." 

When  the  plants  began  to  bloom,  before  the  middle 
of  July,  Mary  declared  that  their  beauty  fairly  eclipsed 
her  choicest  flowers,  but  amid  the  cotton  hills  and  the 
corn  hills  the  little  weeds  appeared  at  such  a  rate  that 
Hunt  was  left  little  time  to  work  for  wages,  although 
at  that  season  there  was  an  almost  constant  demand 
for  his  labor  on  Mr.  Vincent's  truck  farm. 

By  that  time  there  were  books  upon  the  shelves,  and 
whenever  either  of  them  visited  New  Bern  a  copy  of 
the  New  Bern  daily  Jom^nal  was  waiting  for  them  in 
the  post-office,  for  Mary  had  subscribed  for  it  for  three 
months,  out  of  her  fish  money,  that  Hunt  should  be 
kept  informed  of  the  market  price  of  cotton  and  the 
crop  prospects,  and  perhaps  having  a  little  curiosity 
of  her  own  in  the  matter. 

"  I  am  just  pleased  to  death.  Hunt,"  she  said  more 
than  once,  "  to  see  this  cotton  growing.  You  say  we 
ought  to  have  half  a  bale  to  the  acre,  and  that  will 


FIRST  COTTON  PLANTS.  127 

make  us  two  bales  from  our  four  acres ;  it  is  worth 
about  five  cents  a  pound  now,  and  as  a  bale  weighs 
five  hundred  pounds,  that  is  twenty-five  dollars  a 
bale,  or  fifty  dollars  for  our  two  bales." 

"  Yes,  but  do  not  count  your  chickens  before  they 
are  hatched,"  Hunt  laughed.  "  That  is  very  much 
like  a  girPs  figuring.  We  may  not  get  two  bales,  or 
the  price  may  go  below  five  cents,  for  it  varies  very 
much ;  and,  anyhow,  there  are  a  good  many  expenses 
to  be  deducted  from  what  we  may  get  for  it.  There 
is  the  picking,  for  instance,  and  the  ginning  and 
baling." 

"  Oh,  the  picking  !"  Mary  exclaimed.  "  That  is 
something  that  has  bothered  me  very  much.  We 
could  pick  it  ourselves,  only  we  know  nothing  about 
such  work.  How  in  the  world  are  we  to  get  so  much 
cotton  picked  ?" 

"  Wait  till  we  get  the  cotton  before  you  worry  about 
picking  it,"  Hunt  laughed  again,  "  for  all  the  darkies 
about  here  are  expert  cotton  pickers  and  want  that 
work  in  the  cotton  season.  They  sling  an  old  bag 
with  a  slit  in  it  over  their  shoulders  to  pick  into,  and 
get  forty  cents  a  hundred  pounds  for  the  picking." 

"  *  Forty  cents  a  hundred  pounds ' !"  Mary  exclaimed. 
"  Why,  I  should  think  it  would  take  anyone  a  week 
to  pick  a  hundred  pounds  of  such  light  stuff  as  cotton." 

"  Don't  you  believe  it,"  Hunt  answered.  "  You  see 
the  seeds  and  the  cotton  are  all  in  the  bolls  together, 
and  are  picked  at  the  same  time ;  that  makes  what  is 
called  seed  cotton  before  it  is  ginned,  for  I  suppose 


128  PINE  RIDGE  PLANTATION. 

you  know  that  ginning  is  separating  the  cotton  from 
the  seeds,  but  probably  you  do  not  know  that  in  a 
fiekl  of  cotton  the  seeds  weigh  just  twice  as  much  as 
the  cotton,  so  that  the  cotton  for  a  five-hundred-pound 
bale  weighs  fifteen  hundred  pounds  while  in  the  form 
of  seed  cotton.  Thus  the  pickers  make  very  fair 
wages,  you  see,  even  at  forty  cents  a  hundred  pounds." 

"  Well,  I  am  glad  to  know  that,"  Mary  retorted, 
"  and  if  we  can  get  anything  like  fifty  dollars  from 
our  first  crop  of  cotton,  that  will  go  far  toward  paying 
for  the  adjoining  piece  of  laud  that  I  know  you  want 
to  buy  so  that  we  can  raise  more  cotton  next  year." 

"Well,  that  depends,"  Hunt  said,  reflectively. 
"  We'll  see  first  how  this  crop  of  cotton  turns  out. 
Of  course  I  should  like  to  have  the  money  to  buy 
the  land,  but  as  it  is  Avoodland,  I  think  I  can  sell 
enough  firewood  from  it  to  pay  for  it.  Anyhow,  it's 
better  than  working  for  wages,"  he  added ;  "  isn't  it, 
sis — with  nothing  to  look  forward  to  ?  Whatever  our 
cotton  may  sell  for,  we  have  our  comfortable  little 
home." 

Fast  as  the  cotton  and  corn  and  smaller  crops  grew, 
the  little  black  pigs  kept  pace  with  them,  and  every 
day  made  it  seem  more  likely  that  there  soon  would 
be  both  smoke  and  pork  in  the  smoke-house. 

Fires  for  warmth  had  long  been  a  thing  of  the  past, 
but,  in  their  determination  to  save  every  possible  cent, 
the  evening  light  still  came  from  what  the  colored 
neighbors  called  "  lighter  knots,"  which  answered  the 
purpose  admirably. 


CHAPTER   XI. 

AN   ENCX)UNTER   WITH   DRUNKEN   NEGROES. 

With  his  daily  work  in  his  own  fields  Hunt  was 
now  a  real  southern  planter  on  a  small  scale,  and  both 
he  and  Mary  were  well  browned  by  their  constant  ex- 
posure to  the  North  Carolina  suUo  There  seemed  to 
be  no  end  to  the  ploughing  and  scraping  and  hoeing 
in  corn  and  cotton  fields,  but  as  the  weather  favored 
and  the  precious  plants  increased  in  size  every  day  they 
worked  cheerfully,  watching  the  daily  growth  as  care- 
fully as  a  mother  watches  her  child.  Hunt's  work  for 
wages  was,  of  course,  much  interrupted  while  the 
growing  crops  needed  his  attention,  but  the  river  and 
creek  still  afforded  an  abundance  of  fish,  and  rather 
than  let  their  income  cease  entirely,  he  assisted  his 
sister  with  her  little  fishery,  and  soon  took  a  leading 
part  in  that  industry,  for  he  found  that  by  taking  the 
fish  over  to  New  Bern  to  the  fish-market  wharf  in  the 
Maria  Louise  he  could  sell  them  in  considerable  quan- 
tities to  the  market  men,  and  so  save  his  sister  the 
labor  of  peddling  them  in  the  city.  To  make  time 
for  this  both  brother  and  sister  were  frequently 
at  work  in  their  own  fields  before  the  sun  had  risen, 
and  continued  their  labor  till  the  darkness  made  its 
further  continuance  impossible. 

9  129 


130  PINE  RIDGE  PLANTATION. 

As  the  season  advanced  the  large  Welshmen  became 
scarce  in  their  own  neighborhood,  but  by  watching  the 
native  fishermen,  who  were  mostly  colored,  they  found 
that  they  could  still  be  taken  in  paying  quantities 
several  miles  up  the  Trent  River,  particularly  near  a 
beautiful  place  that  the  fishermen  called  their  "  hotel," 
where  a  thick  pine  grove  on  a  bluff  on  the  river  bank 
afforded  shelter  from  both  sun  and  rain,  and  near 
which  large  quantities  of  speckled  and  white  perch 
and  chub  and  catfish  could  also  be  taken.  It  did  not 
take  them  long  to  learn  that  as  the  catfish  brought  a 
very  low  price  in  the  market,  they  could  most  profit- 
ably be  taken  home  to  eat  while  the  others  were  sold. 
Mary  at  first  had  some  hesitation  about  handling  the 
giant  catfish  with  their  great  mouths  and  spike-like 
horns,  but  as  she  was  determined  to  be  a  real  fisher- 
girl  she  soon  overcame  this,  and  Hunt  gallantly  in- 
sisted that,  as  she  was  the  originator  of  the  fishing 
business,  the  fish  profits  should  all  belong  to  her. 

One  day  when  they  had  earned  the  liberty  to  fish 
for  almost  the  entire  day  by  working  extra  hours  on 
many  previous  days,  they  went  up  the  Trent  as  far  as 
the  "  hotel,''  and  were  returning  with  the  Maria  Louise 
well  loaded  with  fine  fish  to  land  Mary  at  the  plan- 
tation before  Hunt  went  over  to  the  market  to  sell  the 
catch.  They  had  just  reached  the  mouth  of  the  creek 
when  they  saw  a  boat  approaching  manned  by  three 
young  colored  men,  who  plainly  showed  by  their  bois- 
terous actions  that  they  had  been  drinking.  There 
was  no  doubt  that  these  young  men  were  going  fishing, 


ENCOUNTER    WITH  DRUNKEN  NEGROES.    131 

and  Hunt  thought  he  recognized  in  at  least  one  or  two 
of  them  men  who  had  sometimes  jeered  at  him  as  he 
passed  through  James  City. 

His  relations  with  his  colored  neighbors  had,  on  the 
whole,  been  extremely  friendly,  and  he  was  sure  that 
these  men  in  the  boat  would  not  molest  them  if  they 
were  sober,  but  the  vile  form  of  whiskey  made  from 
corn  is  sold  very  cheaply  in  James  City,  and  as  the 
men  headed  their  boat  toward  the  little  sloop,  singing 
and  shouting  and  rocking  their  own  boat,  he  deter- 
mined that  the  present  was  a  good  opportunity  to 
show  these  tippling  youngsters  that  he  and  his  sister 
were  not  to  be  insulted  with  impunity. 

'^  Now  don't  say  a  word  to  them,''  he  said  to  his 
sister,  "  for  they  may  go  on  up  the  river  and  'tend  to 
their  business ;"  but  they  were  not  left  long  in  doubt 
as  to  the  intentions  of  the  three  young  colored  men, 
for  the  boat  rapidly  approached  them,  and  w^hen  near 
by  it  stopped  and  the  youngsters  began  to  jeer  at 
them. 

"  Pore  white  trash,"  they  shouted,  pointing  at 
them.  "  Dey  takes  de  bread  outen  de  pore  niggahs 
mouf.  Got  kicked  outen  de  Norf,  did  you ;  couldn' 
make  no  livin'  at  home,  eh  ?  so  come  down  yere  to 
rob  the  pore  niggah ;  dey's  worser  dan  niggahs,  sich 
pore  white  trash." 

^^  Don't  pay  any  attention  to  them,  Mary,"  Hunt 
cautioned  his  sister ;  "  and  if  they  don't  keep  civil 
tongues  in  their  heads,  I'll  give  them  something  they 
won't  want." 


132  PINE  RIDGE  PLANTATION. 

"  He  say  he  give  niggah  something  one  of  the 
youngsters  shouted,  overhearing  the  words.  "  He 
give  nothin';  he  only  white  trash  hisself,  niggah  give 
white  trash  somethin'.'' 

Words  had  become  too  tame  to  give  vent  to  their 
feelings,  and  all  three  began  to  splash  water  with  their 
hands  and  oars,  directing  it  as  nearly  as  possible  so 
that  it  should  strike  both  Hunt  and  his  sister. 

"  Now  you  stop  that,"  Hunt  shouted,  stepping  up 
into  the  bow  of  his  own  boat,  leaving  Mary  seated 
amidships  with  the  oars. 

"  Stop  that  this  minute,  or  1^11  give  you  something 
you  haven^t  had  in  a  long  time.'' 

The  splashing  and  jeering  were  redoubled  at  this, 
and  Hunt  turned  his  head  in  time  to  see  a  great  splash 
of  the  water  strike  Mary  almost  squarely  in  the  face. 

"  Pull  up  one  good  stroke,"  he  called  to  her.  The 
row-boat  lay  broadside  on  with  the  sloop's  bow  point- 
ing directly  toward  it,  and  the  few  feet  between  them 
was  rapidly  lessened  under  Mary's  stroke. 

"  Steady  now,"  he  cried,  and  the  words  were  hardly 
out  of  his  mouth  before  he  sprang  forward  into  the 
air  and  came  down  with  his  whole  weight  and  force 
of  motion  upon  the  rail  of  the  narrow  row-boat. 
There  could  be  only  one  result  to  his  unexpected 
attack,  and  under  his  weight  the  row-boat  capsized 
like  a  shot,  and  the  negroes  were  thrown  into  the 
water.  Hunt,  of  course,  went  overboard  also,  but 
two  or  three  vigorous  strokes  carried  him  to  the  bow 
of  his  own  boat. 


ENCOUNTER    WITH  DRUNKEN  NEGROES.    133 

The  three  negroes  were  not  sobered  by  their  sudden 
immersion,  but  forgetting  their  enmity  to  Hunt,  they 
began  to  quarrel  and  fight  among  themselves,  and 
during  the  struggle  one  of  them  approached  near 
where  Mary  sat,  and  took  hold  as  if  to  clamber 
aboard. 

"  Let  go  of  that,''  Mary  shouted,  springing  to  her 
feet  with  an  uplifted  oar  in  her  hands.  "  Let  go  of 
that  or  I'll  break  your  arms." 

"  For  de  Lawd's  sake,  missy,  doan'  kill  a  pore 
niggah,  we  kan't  none  of  us  swim,  some  of  us  niggahs 
are  a  going  to  drownd,  missy,  if  you  doan'  help  us." 

Another  of  the  negroes  was  evidently  sinking, 
shouting  lustily  all  the  while  for  help. 

"  Here,  take  hold  of  this  oar,"  Hunt  cried,  as  he 
took  up  the  other  oar  and  pushed  an  end  of  it  toward 
the  sinking  man. 

The  overturned  boat  was  now  well  within  reach, 
and  holding  fast  to  the  oar  with  one  hand,  he  reached 
forward  with  the  other  and  righted  it ;  by  this  time, 
however,  all  three  of  the  men  were  shouting  for  help, 
and  seemed  to  be  in  danger  of  drowning,  and  as  he 
was  already  wet.  Hunt  instantly  sprang  overboard 
and  went  to  their  assistance.  One  by  one  he  helped 
them  to  their  own  boat,  and  held  it  steady  while  they 
climed  in  over  the  stern. 

Then  as  they  were  all  safe,  and  realizing  that  he 
had  left  Mary  alone,  he  swam  back  to  his  own  boat 
and  climbed  in  over  the  bow. 

The  thanks  that  he  then  had  to  receive  gave  him 


134  PINE  RtDGE  PLANTATION. 

more  embarrassment  than  any  other  part  of  the 
episode,  for  the  negroes,  finding  themselves  safe,  were 
profuse  in  their  thanks. 

"  T'ank  you,  boss,  t'ank  you  berry  much,"  they 
shouted  each  in  turn.  "  You  done  save  pore  niggah's 
life,  boss,  and  pore  niggah  he  not  forget  you.'' 

"Very  well,"  Hunt  answered,  "that's  all  right, 
I'd  rather  do  you  a  favor  than  an  injury,  but  if  you 
ever  bother  me  or  my  sister  any  more  I'll  chuck  you 
into  the  Trent  River  again  ;  now  you  remember  that." 

"  We  will,  boss,"  the  men  shouted,  in  unison. 
"  You  ain't  no  white  trash,  an'  yo'  heart's  as  white  as 
yo'  skin.  We'se  you'  frien's  now,  boss,  an'  we'se 
goin'  on  a  fishin'." 

"  It's  nothing  at  all  under  this  hot  sun,"  Hunt 
answered,  when  Mary  urged  him  to  hasten  home  for 
dry  clothes ;  "  these  clothes  will  be  dry  in  five 
minutes,  and  they  may  as  well  dry  on  me  as  any- 
where. I'll  just  set  you  ashore  and  then  go  over  to 
the  market."  But  Mary  insisted  that  if  Hunt  was 
going  in  his  wet  clothes,  she  was  going  with  him,  and 
each  took  an  oar  and  the  boat  was  headed  for  the 
market  Avharf. 

Before  they  reached  the  wharf  the  powerful  summer 
sun  of  North  Carolina  had  dried  them  both,  and  Mary 
was  delighted  when  Hunt  steered  the  boat  up  into 
the  slip  where  lay  many  little  fishing  craft,  and  some 
larger  boats  with  both  fish  and  turtle.  The  slip  was 
what  would  have  been  about  fiftv  feet  of  the  lower 
end  of  Middle  Street,  but  dredged  out  to  give  an 


ENCOUNTER    WITH  DRUNKEN  NEGROES.    135 

entrance  to  boats.  The  sidewalks  of  the  street  con- 
tinued down  to  the  river  on  both  sides  of  the  slip,  and 
partly  on  these  and  partly  in  the  half  ruinous  wooden 
buildings  that  lined  tliem  was  the  fish  market. 

"And  is  this  the  fish  market  you  talk  so  much 
about  ?"  Mary  asked.  "  Why,  it  looks  as  if  it  might 
fall  down  any  day.  The  only  building  on  the  slip 
that  is  painted  or  kept  in  repair  is  that  uncomfortable- 
looking  one  with  the  big  signs  reading  '  Palace  bar- 
room.' It  does  not  look  much  like  a  palace,  and  I 
think  its  signs  must  be  bigger  than  its  business." 

"  Very  likely  they  are,''  Hunt  replied.  "  I  do  not 
think  that  any  bar-room  in  New  Bern  does  much 
business.  It  always  seems  to  me  that  there  is  very 
little  drinking  here.  To  be  sure,  we  have  seen  a  few 
of  the  colored  people  drunk,  but  you  must  remember 
that  out  of  six  thousand  colored  people  in  New  Bern 
and  two  or  three  thousand  in  James  City,  we  have 
never  seen  more  than  a  half  dozen  drunken  ones." 

"  But  I  don't  see  what  becomes  of  all  the  fish  that 
is  brought  here,"  said  Mary.  "  We  bring  enough 
ourselves,  I  imagine,  almost  to  supply  the  city  of  New 
Bern,  and  the  colored  fishermen  and  these  large  fish- 
ing boats  are  always  bringing  them  in." 

"  This  is  a  great  market  for  fish,"  Hunt  replied. 
"  The  people  of  New  Bern  use  a  very  small  proportion 
of  what  are  brought  in.  Great  quantities  are  shipped 
from  here  to  the  large  cities  of  the  North,  principally 
to  New  York.  That  is  why  we  generally  get  good 
prices  for  our  fish ;  if  we  had  only  New  Bern  to  sup- 


136  PIJ^E  RIDGE  PLANTATION. 

ply  we  should  get  very  little,  but  the  dealers  charge 
the  people  as  much  as  they  could  get  from  the  whole- 
salers in  New  York,  after  deducting  the  freight. 
That  is  the  reason  that  shad  early  in  the  season  some- 
times sell  in  this  market  for  seventy-five  cents  and 
often  for  one  dollar  a  pair.  We  have  not  quite  got  up 
to  shad  catching  yet,  as  they  will  not  bite  at  a  hook, 
but  have  to  be  caught  with  a  seine ;  but  we  may  come 
to  that  some  day  if  we  ever  need  to  depend  largely  on 
our  fishery.^' 

"  This  market,  you  see/^  he  continued,  "  is  at  the 
foot  of  Middle  Street,  and  the  steamboat  landing  is  at 
the  foot  of  Craven  Street,  one  block  way,  as  we  should 
say  in  New  York,  or  one  square,  as  they  always  say 
here.  Middle  Street  is  well  named,  for  it  runs  right 
through  the  middle  of  the  city.  It  is  only  a  few  steps 
from  here  to  the  cotton  gin  where  we  hope  in  a  short 
time  to  have  some  cotton  to  sell." 

Hunt  stepped  ashore  and  in  a  few  minutes  disposed 
of  his  fish  to  one  of  the  dealers,  after  which  he  tied 
the  boat  and  asked  Mary  to  come  ashore,  saying  that 
there  were  one  or  two  places  he  wished  to  show  her. 

When  she  came  he  took  her  up  Middle  Street  past 
some  handsome  brick  business  buildings. 

"  There,  I  want  you  to  look  at  that  one,"  he  said, 
pointing  to  the  Citizens'  Bank  on  the  opposite  side  of 
the  street.  "  Mr.  Burrus  tells  me  that  if  we  do  well 
with  the  cotton  I  ought  to  open  a  bank  account  in 
New  Bern,  and  he  has  introduced  me  to  Mr.  Thomas 
Green,  the  president  of  the   Citizens'  Bank.      I  feel 


ENCOUNTER    WITH  DRUNKEN  NEGROES.    137 

almost  at  home  when  I  pass  it,  because  Mr.  Green  is 
a  cousin  by  marriage  of  a  gentleman  we  both  know 
of  in  New  York." 

"  I  don't  know  anyone  in  New  York/'  Mary 
objected. 

"No,  but  you  have  heard  of  the  New  York  Central 
Railroad,  I  suppose,"  Hunt  laughed.  "  The  main 
line  runs  six  or  eight  miles  north  of  our  old  home  in 
Ontario  County,  and  the  old  line,  or  Auburn  branch, 
as  it  is  called,  goes  right  through  Phelps,  which  is 
very  near  us.  Mr.  George  H.  Daniels,  the  general 
passenger-agent  of  that  big  road,  had  charge  of  a 
government  steamer  on  the  Neuse  River  for  several 
years  during  the  Civil  War,  and  while  here  he 
married  the  daughter  of  Captain  Gates,  who  still 
lives  in  Broad  Street.  As  this  lady  was  a  cousin  of 
Mr.  Green,  that  made  Mr.  Daniels  his  cousin  by 
marriage." 

"  Why,  this  looks  like  a  graveyard  right  in  the 
middle  of  the  city,"  Mary  interrupted. 

"  That  is  just  what  it  is,"  Hunt  answered.  "  And 
this  is  one  of  the  things  I  brought  you  here  to  show 
you.  This  is  the  churchyard  of  the  large  Episcopal 
Church,  where  the  great  parish  church  was  built  by 
the  British  Government  many  years  ago,  when  North 
Carolina  was  a  British  colony.  I  want  to  take  you 
right  through  the  churchyard,  where  you  will  see  by 
the  old  tomb-stones  that  many  of  the  people  buried 
here  came  from  Connecticut,  as  many  of  the  early 
settlers  of  New  Bern  were  from  that  State." 


138  .  PINE  RIDGE  PLANTATION, 

"  Here,  you  see/'  he  continued,  "  is  a  gate  leading 
from  the  churchyard  into  a  private  garden.  I  want 
to  take  you  through  the  private  garden  into  Broad 
Street,  for  it  belongs  to  Major  Graham  Daves,  and 
he  has  invited  me  to  visit  it  whenever  I  can/' 

"  This  immense  house,"  he  went  on,  "  belongs  to 
him.  Major  Daves  is  the  president  of  the  Roanoke 
Island  Association.  I  am  very  much  interested  in 
Roanoke  Island,  Avhich  is  in  the  sound,  not  far  from 
here,  for  on  it  was  estabhshed  one  of  the  very  first 
settlements  in  America,  even  before  Jamestown  was 
settled.  The  first  colonists  all  disappeared,  and  for  a 
long  time  it  was  thought  that  they  had  starved ;  but 
this  was  a  mistake,  for  they  were  massacred  by  the 
Indians,  and  a  great  many  of  the  early  settlers  in 
New  Bern  were  killed  by  the  same  savages." 

"  I  am  interested  too  in  Roanoke  Island,"  Mary 
said,  when  they  reached  Broad  Street,  "  but  I  am 
more  interested  just  now  in  the  plantation  on  Brice 
Creek.  Let  us  go  home  before  we  are  tempted  to 
spend  any  of  our  fish-money  in  the  stores.'^ 


CHAPTER   XII. 

A  GREAT  RISE  IN   COTTON. 

All  through  the  summer  Hunt  and  Mary  were 
in  expectation  of  very  hot  weather,  because  they 
were  far  enough  south  to  be  among  the  cotton  fields ; 
but  the  hottest  days  of  summer  were  no  warmer 
than  the  weather  they  had  been  accustomed  to  in  the 
North,  for  there  was  nearly  always  a  refreshing  breeze 
from  the  rivers  and  sounds.  When  the  crops  attained 
such  height  and  size  that  their  foliage  prevented  the 
weeds  from  growing,  and  much  less  labor  was  required 
on  the  plantation,  at  Hunt's  suggestion  Mary  made 
herself  a  bathing-suit  of  cheap  flannel,  and,  when  not 
at  work  for  wages,  he  frequently  took  her  down  to 
the  creek,  where,  under  his  tuition,  she  soon  became 
an  expert  swimmer. 

These  comparatively  restful  days,  however,  were  not 
to  last  long,  for,  with  the  coming  of  September,  the 
cotton  bolls  were  beginning  to  open,  and  both  the 
young  planters  became  impatient  to  turn  their  first 
crop  into  a  bank  account. 

"  Just  see  how  white  the  cotton  field  is.  Hunt,''  Mary 
often  exclaimed.  "  It  is  surely  time  to  begin  picking, 
but  I  don't  see  how  we  are  going  to  get  the  pickers." 

"  That  is  easy  enough,"  Hunt  retorted ;  "  if  I  tell 

139 


140  PINE  RIDGE  PLANTATION. 

one  or  two  of  the  darkeys  that  we  want  pickers  they 
will  soon  all  know  it,  for  news  spreads  among  them 
very  fast.  What  you  tell  one  colored  person  you 
might  as  well  tell  every  negro  in  Craven  County. 
I  believe  it  is  the  same  over  in  New  Bern,  only  the 
white  people  there  have  telephones  in  their  houses, 
and  new^s  that  can't  travel  fast  enough  by  word  of 
mouth  goes  over  the  wire.  I  will  tell  one  or  two 
darkeys  to-morrow,  and  you  will  see  plenty  of  pickers 
here  before  the  week  is  out." 

He  was  correct  in  this  prediction,  for  the  negroes 
are  fond  of  roaming  by  night  and  visiting  one  another's 
cabins.  Before  the  week  was  ended,  the  pickers  who 
applied  for  work  wxre  enough  almost  to  make  a  regi- 
ment. There  were  able-bodied  men  and  cripples, 
women  both  old  and  young,  and  boys  and  girls  of 
almost  all  sizes,  ranging  in  color  from  light  yellow  to 
the  deepest  black,  and  all  ragged  and  slouchy.  For- 
tunately for  Hunt,  cotton-picking  was  such  an  estab- 
lished industry,  and  the  price  so  well  understood,  that 
no  special  bargain  with  them  was  necessary. 

After  a  few  days  the  picking  began,  and  Mary  kept 
a  close  watch  upon  the  movements  of  the  pickers,  for, 
as  she  said,  she  had  not  been  able  to  earn  much  money 
recently,  but  she  was  determined  to  save  a  little  by 
doing  some  of  the  picking  herself.  Hunt  also  slung 
a  bag  over  his  shoulders  and  fell  to  picking,  but  at 
the  close  of  the  first  day's  work  it  became  apparent 
that  some  means  of  weighing  the  cotton  picked  by 
each  picker  was  needed. 


A    YOUTHFUL  COTTON-PICKER. 


A   GREAT  RISE  IN  COTTON.  141 

Mr.  Vincent,  like  the  good  neighbor  that  he  was, 
drove  over  with  his  own  scales  in  the  cart. 

"  I  know  you  are  going  to  need  them,"  he  said, 
"  and  you  can  just  as  well  use  them  as  not,  for  I  have 
others." 

Hunt  did  the  weighing  and  paying-off  himself  every 
evening,  having  the  pickers  empty  their  bags,  after 
weighing,  into  a  number  of  empty  barrels  that  he 
had  provided,  and  that  he  kept  under  cover  in  Bob's 
stable. 

^'  See  here,  Fannie !"  he  called  to  the  pony  one 
evening,  after  examining  the  little  book  in  which  he 
kept  account  of  the  number  of  pounds  picked,  "you're 
to  have  a  double  feed  of  oats  to-day,  old  girl,  for 
I  have  paid  for  picking  nearly  seventeen  hundred 
pounds  ;  that  means  plenty  of  feed  for  you  next  win- 
ter. Miss  Fannie,  and  maybe  an  extra  bite  for  the  rest 
of  us.  Here,  Rover  !  here.  Buster  !"  he  called  to  the 
dogs  that  were  in  the  barn  and  much  interested  in  the 
work,  "  I  am  going  to  bring  you  a  lot  of  nice  bones 
from  New  Bern ;  just  remind  me  of  it  next  time  I  go 
over,  for  I  shall  be  going  soon  to  sell  cotton." 

Nearly  a  month  passed  before  the  cotton  was  all 
picked,  the  fields  stripped  clean,  and  the  pickers  all 
dismissed.  Then,  at  length,  came  the  eventful  day 
when  the  cotton  was  to  be  ginned  and  disposed  of. 
The  little  book  by  that  time  showed  a  record  of  nearly 
three  thousand  pounds  picked. 

"  Now,  Mary,"  Hunt  told  his  sister,  "  I  am  off  for 
the  cotton  gin  to-morrow,  and  if  you  want  to  make 


142  PINE  RIDGE  PLANTATION. 

yourself  useful  while  I  am  away,  you  hire  a  darkey  to 
pull  up  all  those  old  cotton  stalks  and  throw  them 
in  a  heap,  so  we  can  burn  them,  and  you  watch  him 
or  he  won't  half  do  the  work.  I  know  the  custom  is 
to  let  the  stalks  stand  and  rot,  but  I  don't  like  that, 
for  there  is  no  reason  why  an  old  cotton  field  in  the 
South  shoidd  not  be  kept  as  clean  as  our  old  corn  field 
in  the  North. 

Bob  had  been  comfortably  munching  grass  and 
leaves  and  corn  for  some  months,  but  there  was  work 
before  him  when  the  hauling  of  cotton  began,  for  at 
least  two  trips  to  New  Bern  must  be  made.  For  con- 
taining the  loose  cotton  the  barrels  were  used,  and 
some  bags  or  anything  that  would  hold  it. 

Never  before  had  Hunt  watched  the  operations  of 
the  ginning-machinery  with  such  interest  as  when  it 
was  his  own  cotton  that  was  drawn  up  in  the  big 
pneumatic  tube ;  but  he  felt  himself  a  cotton  planter, 
indeed,  when  the  big  compressor  had  to  come  down 
twice  to  press  his  cotton  into  two  bales,  and  when 
fully  a  ton  of  the  grayish- white  seed  was  ejected  by 
the  machine. 

"  I  do  not  need  to  ask  you  the  price,"  he  said  to 
young  Mr.  Burrus,  the  proprietor,  when  the  two 
snow-white  cubes  of  pressed  cotton  lay  before  them. 

*  •  No ;  it  is  the  same  old  price,''  Mr.  Burrus  an- 
swered, "  and  you  have  worked  here  often  enough  to 
know  what  it  is :  forty  cents  a  hundred  pounds  for  the 
ginning,  and  one  dollar  and  twenty-five  cents  a  bale 
for  the  ties  and  cover ;  but  you  have  here  a  ton  of 


A   GREAT  RISE  IN  COTTON.  143 

seed,  which  is  worth  twelve  dollars,  so  that  you  owe 
us  four  dollars  for  the  ginning,  and  two  dollars  and 
fifty  cents  for  the  two  bales,  making  a  total  of  six 
dollars  and  fifty  cents  :  there  is  a  balance  in  your 
favor  of  five  dollars  and  fifty  cents  if  you  leave  us  the 
seed/' 

"  Well,  I  will  leave  you  the  seed,"  Hunt  answered, 
as  he  pocketed  the  five  dollars  and  fifty  cents. 

He  then  went  down  the  dusty  stairs  to  the  street, 
and  drove  Bob  and  the  cart  up  to  the  door  to  receive 
the  two  bales  of  cotton.  After  they  were  loaded  he 
drove  down  Craven  Street  toward  the  cotton  exchange 
to  sell  them,  but  as  he  w^as  passing  the  office  of 
Burrus  &  Gray,  Mr.  Burrus  stepped  out  and  hailed 
him: 

"  Hello,  here,  my  young  planter  !''  he  said,  "  that 
looks  like  cotton  ;  you  don't  mean  to  say  you  got  both 
those  bales  off  of  your  land  the  first  year,  do  you  ?" 

"  Yes,  sir,  both  of  them,  and  some  good  silver  be- 
sides," Hunt  answered  proudly,  slapping  his  pocket 
where  his  five  dollars  and  fifty  cents  lay. 

"  Well,  you  know  I  deal  in  cotton,"  Mr.  Burrus 
told  him  ;"  but  whether  you  sell  it  to  me  or  to  some 
other  dealer  you  will  get  just  the  same  price  for  it, 
because  cotton  has  a  standard  market  price.  But  see 
here,  young  man,  do  you  know  the  price  of  cotton 
to-day  ?" 

"  I  think  it  has  been  in  the  neighborhood  of  five  or 
six  cents  for  a  long  time,  sir,"  Hunt  answered. 

"  Ah  !    I  thought  maybe  you  did   not  know  the 


144  PINE  RIDGE  PLANTATION. 

great  cotton  news  of  to-day,  and  that  is  why  I  stopped 
you/'  Mr.  Burrus  laughed.  '^  The  price  of  cotton 
is  nine  and  a  half  cents  to-day,  and  if  you  want  to 
sell  those  two  bales  to  me  at  that  price,  drive  right 
over  to  the  scales  till  we  weigh  them,  and  I  will  take 
them/' 

He  drove  over  to  the  scales,  and,  with  the  assistance 
of  several  of  Mr.  Burrus's  porters,  the  bales  were  soon 
found  to  weigh  exactly  one  thousand  pounds. 

"  Good  enough  !''  said  Mr.  Burrus,  who  had  stepped 
over  to  inspect  the  weighing. 

"  Then  the  bales  are  mine,  and  if  you  will  come 
right  over  to  my  office  the  check  for  them  shall  be 
yours.'' 

Hunt  drove  back  to  the  office,  and  soon  came  out, 
bearing  in  his  hand  a  narrow  slip  of  paper,  which  read  : 


J^ew  Bern,  JV.  C,  Oct.  8,  1900. 

Pay  to  Huntley  Robertson or  Order, 

JW7ie^z/-;^z;e____________  To*]j  Dollars. 


■^  <LyouUud  cf     uia^ 


"Thank  you,  sir,"  Hunt  said,  as  he  folded  the 
check  and  put  it  carefully  in  an  inner  pocket.  "  I 
might  have  remained  a  farmer's  boy  a  good  many 
years  before  I  should  have  had  a  hundred  dollars  in 
my  pocket.     Good  day,  Mr.  Burrus." 

"  Good  day.  Hunt !"  Mr.  Burrus  called  after  him  ; 


A   GREAT  RISE  IN  COTTON.  145 

"  I  shall  hope  to  see  you  come  in  next  year  with  twice 
as  much  cotton." 

"  I  am  going  to  try  for  that,  sir,"  Hunt  answered, 
driving  on.  But  his  business  was  not  completed, 
for  he  turned  Bob  into  South  Front  Street,  and 
then  into  Middle,  where  he  stopped  at  the  Citizens' 
Bank,  and  when  he  came  out  the  check  and  the 
money  in  his  pocket  had  been  exchanged  for  a  bank- 
book giving  him  credit  for  one  hundred  dollars  on 
deposit. 

Then  he  went  home,  after  stopping  a  moment  at 
the  post-office,  where  he  received  a  letter,  which  he 
pocketed  without  opening. 

When  he  reached  home  he  whistled  lively  airs 
while  he  unharnessed  Bob  and  put  him  in  the  stable, 
and  Mary  ran  out,  anxious  to  know  the  result  of  the 
day's  business. 

"  Well,  did  you  sell  your  two  bales  ?"  she  asked. 

"  I  sold  our  two  bales,"  he  answered  gallantly. 
"  What  do  you  think  cotton  is  worth  now  ?"  But 
before  Mary  could  reply  he  had  his  arm  around  her 
waist,  and  was  waltzing  her  about  the  barn. 

"  Has  it  gone  above  six  cents  ?"  she  asked,  half- 
breathless. 

"  '  Six  cents '!"  he  exclaimed.  "  You  never  heard  of 
such  a  price  for  cotton  since  you  were  born.  I  got 
nine  and  a  half  cents,  or  exactly  ninety-five  dollars  for 
the  two  bales,  besides  five  dollars  and  fifty  cents  for 
the  seed.  Look  at  that  once,  will  you  ?"  and  he  put 
the  bank-book  into  her  hands.     "  That  shows  that  we 

10 


146  PINE  RIDGE  PLANTATION. 

have  one  hundred  dollars  in  the  bank.  Give  all  the 
animals  a  double  feed  to  night,  Mary.^' 

When  they  went  into  the  house,  both  filled  with 
pleasure  at  their  good  fortune,  Hunt  was  glad  to  see 
that  supper  was  waiting  for  him. 

"  I  ought  to  have  brought  some  good  provisions 
from  town,"  he  said,  while  Mary  was  preparing  the 
table  for  him  ;  "  but  I  was  very  busy,  and  I  declare 
I  never  thought  of  it." 

"No,  I  am  glad  you  did  not,"  Mary  answered. 
"  We  must  not  begin  to  spend  money  foolishly  because 
we  have  a  little." 

"  Now  let  us  see  how  we  stand,  Hunt,"  Mary  said, 
after  they  had  finished  their  supper. 

"  Well,  that  will  not  take  long,"  Hunt  answered. 
"  To  begin  with,  we  own  this  comfortable  little  home, 
and  a  pony  and  ox  and  some  other  stock,  besides  a 
good  boat.  Then  Mr.  Warren  still  has  in  his  hands 
one  hundred  and  twenty  dollars  belonging  to  me.  Be- 
sides that  we  have  a  little  money  in  our  pockets,  earned 
by  my  labor  and  your  selling  fish  and  our  sale  of  fire- 
wood ;  but  I  cannot  tell  you  the  exact  amount  of  that 
without  looking  up  our  accounts ;  however,  I  think 
that  is  not  doing  badly  for  the  year  or  less  that  we 
have  been  working  for  ourselves.  And  I  think,  sis, 
that  since  I  have  opened  a  bank  account  it  would  not 
be  a  bad  idea  to  write  to  Mr.  Warren  and  ask  him  to 
send  me  a  check  for  the  one  hundred  and  twenty 
dollars,  so  that  I  can  put  it  in  the  bank  here  and  use 
it  when  necessary." 


A   GREAT  RISE  IN  COTTON.    ■  147 

"  I  think  that  would  be  the  better  way/'  Mary  an- 
swered. 

"  And,  by  the  way,  speaking  of  letters !''  Hunt  ex- 
claimed, "  reminds  me  that  I  brought  one  in  my 
pocket,  which  I  have  not  opened  yet." 

He  took  out  and  opened  the  letter,  which  proved 
to  be  from  Scotty  Watson,  and  he  read  it  aloud. 
Scotty  wrote  that  he  had  been  having  hard  times,  for 
he  had  been  sick  so  much  that  he  had  lost  his  job, 
and  the  doctors  told  him  that  he  must  not  expect  to 
recover  his  health  unless  he  could  go  into  a  warmer 
climate  for  the  winter. 

"  Ah!  you  have  the  best  of  it,  Hunt,"  he  wrote, 
"  for  you  are  working  for  yourself,  while  I  am  Avork- 
ing  for  other  people,  and  I  am  just  as  poor  every 
Saturday  night  as  I  am  every  Monday  morning.  If 
you  know  of  any  chance  for  me  to  get  work  near 
where  you  are,  I  wish  you  would  write  me  about  it, 
for  I  am  afraid  I  shall  soon  be  a  goner  if  I  stay  in 
this  cold  climate." 

Mary  had  been  drumming  on  the  table  with  her 
finger  tips  while  Hunt  was  reading,  and  when  he 
concluded  she  looked  into  his  face  and  asked,  "  Hunt, 
does  that  letter  suggest  anything  to  you  ?" 

'^  That  letter  suggests  a  great  deal  to  me,"  Hunt 
answered  slowly  and  seriously. 

"  We  always  try  to  do  the  right  thing  as  nearly  as 
we  can,  don't  we,  old  chum  ?  We  never  work  on  Sun- 
days, because  we  think  it  wrong,  and  we  go  over  to 
church  as  often  as  we  can ;  but  that  isn't  enough,  it 


148 


PINE  RIDGE  PLANTATION, 


seems  to  me.  Now  that  we  have  some  money  we 
shall  certainly  buy  that  wood  lot,  and  I  shall  need 
some  help  in  cutting  the  wood.  I  think  a  great  deal 
of  Scotty  Watson,  poor  fellow,  and  I  do  not  see  why 
he  should  not  have  that  work  as  well  as  let  some  of 
these  darkeys  have  it.  What  do  you  say  to  my  writ- 
ing to  Scotty,  partner,  and  telling  him  to  come  down 
here  to  work  for  us  ?'' 

^'  I  think  you  ought  to  do  it,  Hunt,'^  Mary  replied. 
"  We  have  been  prospered  ourselves,  and  we  ought  to 
help  the  poor  boy  along ;  but  Avhere  can  he  sleep, 
Hunt  ?  He  will  need  a  bedroom  if  he  comes,  and  we 
have  none  to  spare." 

"  I  will  manage  that,"  Hunt  declared,  "  and  I  am 
glad  that  you  feel  the  same  about  it  as  I  do.  I  will 
get  some  more  slabs  and  build  a  little  addition  to  the 
house,  and  if  Scotty  comes  that  shall  be  his  room." 

"  Good  for  you.  Hunt !"  Mary  exclaimed,  patting 
him  upon  the  shoulder.  "  You  are  a  good  brother  and 
a  good  friend." 

"  Then  Bob  shall  haul  the  slabs  over  to-morrow," 
Hunt  announced  ;  and  by  the  light  of  the  lighter  knots 
they  both  soon  retired. 


CHAPTER   XIII. 

SCOTTY   WATSON    IN   NEW   BERN. 

The  two  letters  that  Hunt  contemplated  were  both 
written,  and,  as  he  was  busy  drawing  slabs  and  boards 
from  the  mill,  Mary,  on  Fannie,  took  them  over  to 
the  post-office.  Hunt  was  hard  at  work  for  several 
days  with  the  addition  to  his  house,  which  he  built 
on  the  side  farthest  from  the  creek,  in  such  a  way 
that  by  building  a  little  piazza  in  front  of  his  window 
on  that  side,  which  he  converted  into  a  door,  he  made 
an  easy  entrance  both  to  the  new  room  and  to  the 
main  living-room.  The  question  of  heating  the  new 
room  troubled  him  at  first,  but  he  was  not  the  boy  to 
do  things  by  halves,  and  when  he  considered  that 
Scotty  would  come  largely  for  the  sake  of  his  health, 
he  determined  to  build  a  chimney  and  fireplace  for 
that  room  also.  This  work  kept  him  busy  for  several 
days,  and  it  was  hardly  finished  before  the  mail 
brought  answers  to  both  of  his  letters.  Mr.  Warren's 
letter  inclosed  his  check  for  one  hundred  and  twenty 
dollars,  with  his  best  wishes  for  Hunt's  continued 
success.  Scotty  wrote  that  Hunt  was  his  best  friend 
in  the  world,  and  that  they  might  expect  to  see  him 
before  the  Northern  weather  began  to  grow  cold,  as 
he  could  not  let  so  good  an  opportunity  escape. 

149 


150  PINE  RIDGE  PLANTATION, 

"  Now  then,  Mary  !"  Hunt  exclaimed,  after  read- 
ing Scotty's  letter  aloud,  "  I  am  ready  to  buy  that 
adjoining  land  if  you  think  it  wise,  for  you  know  we 
are  partners  in  this  business.  You  know  what  the 
case  is,  don't  you  ?" 

"  You  said  the  piece  contained  seven  acres  adjoin- 
ing our  own  land,  and  that  you  could  buy  it  for  five 
dollars  an  acre.  Now  that  cotton  is  so  high,  I  think 
that  seven  acres  more  is  little  enough  land  for  us  to 
add,''  Mary  replied. 

"  I  think  so,  too,"  Hunt  cautioned  her,  "  but  I 
don't  want  you  to  expect  such  a  high  price  for  cotton 
next  year,  for  you  know  the  price  is  always  going  up 
and  down.  We  want  more  room  for  the  hogs  to 
roam,  though,  for,  now  that  the  little  piggies  have 
grown  large,  and  both  the  old  and  young  ones  are  fat 
as  possible,  pork  is  an  important  matter  with  us.  I 
want  to  see  our  smoke-house  full  of  bacon." 

"  I  will  take  Mr.  Warren's  check  over  to  town  and 
put  it  in  the  bank,"  he  went  on,  "  and  I  may  as  well 
deposit  the  money  we  have  in  our  pockets,  wliich  I 
think  amounts  to  about  twenty-five  dollars." 

"  Are  you  sure  we  can  get  a  good  title  to  the  new 
land?"  Mary  asked. 

"  That  is  another  thing  for  me  to  attend  to,"  Hunt 
replied.  "  Mr.  Pearsall,  who  examined  the  title  to 
this  land  for  me,  has  gone  to  Raleigh  to  be  private 
secretary  to  the  governor ;  but  Major  Daves  is  a  law- 
yer, and  as  I  know  him,  I  will  ask  him  to  examine 
this  other  title  and  make  it  all  straight." 


SCOTTY  WATSON  IN  NEW  BERN.  151 

"  Now,  Mary,  I  am  going  over  to  the  city  in  the 
Maria  Louise,  and  I  think  you  had  better  go  along. 
You  must  remember  that  half  of  what  we  have  be- 
longs to  you,  for  you  have  helped  to  earn  it.  We 
don't  have  to  spend  much  money  for  clothes  over 
here,  but  I  think  it  is  too  bad  for  a  girl  to  go  so  long 
without  any  new  dresses.  You  go  to  some  of  the 
stores  and  buy  whatever  you  want.'' 

"  I  know  exactly  what  I  want,"  Mary  answered, 
"  and  I  will  go  along  with  you  and  buy  it.  It  is  two 
wash-tubs  and  a  washboard,  for  we  have  needed  them 
for  a  long  time.  I  would  not  give  a  fig  for  new 
dresses  here  in  the  woods,  for  I  do  not  need  any,  and 
the  tubs  will  not  cost  much." 

The  ]\Iaria  Louise  made  a  quick  voyage  down  the 
Trent  River  to  the  foot  of  Middle  Street,  and  when 
Hunt  went  up  to  the  bank  and  to  see  Major  Daves 
and  returned  he  found  the  two  tubs  and  the  wash- 
board in  the  boat.  It  was  not  without  some  pardon- 
able pride  that  he  opened  his  bank-book  and  showed 
Mary  that  it  contained  a  credit  of  two  hundred  and 
forty-five  dollars. 

"  Now  let  us  hurry  home,"  Mary  urged,  "  for  I 
have  a  little  treat  in  store  for  us  both." 

"  No,  it  is  not  in  that  bundle,"  she  added,  laughing, 
as  Hunt  looked  suspiciously  at  a  big  paper  bag  in  the 
bottom  of  the  boat.  "  I  have  been  up  to  the  Oaks 
INIarket  and  some  other  meat  shops,  and,  as  I  had  a 
little  silver  left  in  my  pocket,  I  bought  some  scraps 
for  Rover  and  Buster.     The  poor  fellows  must  be 


152 


PINE  RIDGE  PLANTATION. 


tired  of  living  on  fish  and  hominy.  My  surprise  is 
entirely  different  from  that.  You  know  it  was  not 
all  field  corn  we  planted,  but  some  of  it  was  sweet 
corn,  and  there  are  some  fine  ears  just  ready  to  eat.'' 

"  I  believe  I  am  getting  to  be  a  regular  North 
Carolina  girl,  Hunt/'  she  went  on,  as  they  were  sail- 
ing homeward.  "  I  know  wild  ducks  now,  anyhow, 
and  I  have  seen  hundreds  of  them  to-day.  Don't  you 
think  it  would  be  a  good  plan  for  you  to  buy  a  gun 
and  shoot  some  ducks  and  quails  and  other  wild  things 
for  the  table  and  for  sale  ?" 

"  I  can't  quite  make  up  my  mind  to  that,"  Hunt 
answered.  ''  You  know  what  we  see  in  the  winter — 
sportsmen  coming  down  from  the  Xorth,  travelling 
a  thousand  miles  with  guns  and  dogs,  to  kill  a  few 
little  innocent  birds,  tramping  over  the  comitry  and 
working  twice  as  hard  as  they  would  at  home.  I 
don't  want  to  go  into  that  kind  of  business ;  but  as 
they  are  always  wanting  to  hire  boats  and  guides,  I 
think  maybe  we  can  make  a  little  money  out  of  them 
in  that  way  next  winter." 

When  they  reached  home  ]\Iary  picked  a  dozen  fine 
ears  of  corn,  which,  with  some  sliced  bacon  and  boiled 
hominy,  made  their  supper. 

Several  days  later  Hunt  again  visited  Major  Daves, 
according  to  appointment. 

"  The  title  to  that  land  is  good,  and  the  deed  is 
drawn  up  and  signed,"  the  lawyer  told  him.  ^'  It  has 
been  left  in  my  hands  with  the  understanding  that  I 
am  to  deliver  it  to  you  whenever  you  pay  me  the 


SCOTTY   WATSON  IN  NEW  BERN.  153 

thirty-five  dollars  for  the  owner ;  so  you  have  only  to 
hand  me  thirty-five  dollars,  and  I  hand  you  the  deed 
and  the  land  is  yours,  and  you  can  bring  me  the  deed 
whenever  you  like  to  be  recorded." 

"  We  may  as  well  settle  it  up  now,  sir,"  Hunt  an- 
swered, and  he  took  his  check-book  from  his  pocket 
and  drew  a  check  for  thirty-five  dollars,  which  he  ex- 
changed with  the  major  for  the  deed. 

"Now  you  are  a  greater  landed  proprietor  than 
ever,"  the  lawyer  said,  laughing.  "  That  makes  you 
how  many  acres?" 

"  Twelve,  sir,"  Hunt  answered.  "  Seven  acres  in 
this  piece  and  five  I  had  before,  so  I  shall  have  about 
ten  acres  for  cotton  next  year,  sir." 

"  Ah  !  you  cotton  growers  will  be  the  aristocrats  if 
cotton  remains  so  high,"  the  major  laughed ;  "  but 
whatever  success  you  have  you  fully  deserve,  for 
you  are  a  hard  worker,  and  I  wish  you  all  pros- 
perity." 

Hunt  went  down  Broad  Street  to  return  to  his  boat, 
and  when  he  reached  East  Front  Street  his  progress 
was  arrested  by  a  shout  of 

"  Hello,  Hunt !  ain^t  you  going  to  speak  to  a  fellow?" 
which  came  from  a  young  man  on  the  opposite  corner, 
and  in  an  instant  he  was  shaking  the  young  man's 
hand  like  a  pump  handle,  for  he  recognized  Scotty 
Watson. 

"  I  came  down  by  rail,"  Scotty  explained,  "  and 
Pm  awfully  glad  to  be  here  and  to  see  you  again." 

The  Maria  Louise  carried  two  young  men  to  the 


154  PINE  RIDGE  PLANTATION. 

plantation  instead  of  one,  and  Mary  was  as  much 
pleased  as  her  brother.  Scotty  was  delighted  with 
everything,  and  was  glad  to  take  a  short  rest  on  the 
Hyde  County  bed  that  had  been  put  up  in  his  room, 
with  cotton  mattress  and  pillows  complete.  But  what 
promised  to  be  a  delightful  evening,  when  after  supper 
they  were  all  together  in  the  main  room,  was  marred 
by  the  bad  news  that  Scotty  brought. 

"  It  is  too  bad  about  your  old  friend,  Mr.  Warren," 
he  told  them. 

"About  Mr.  Warren!"  Hunt  exclaimed;  "why  I 
hope  nothing  bad  has  happened  to  him." 

"  I  don't  see  what  you  could  call  it  but  bad,"  Scotty 
answered.  "  He  is  sick  for  one  thing,  and  the  farm 
is  going  to  be  sold  by  the  sheriff.  He  has  gone  all  to 
pieces  financially.  The  farm  was  mortgaged,  you  know, 
and  he  could  not  pay  even  the  interest  on  the  mort- 
gage, so  he  has  lost  it.  I  hope  he  has  none  of  your 
money  in  his  hands.  Hunt,  for  he  cannot  pay  any- 
thing." 

"  No,  he  has  not  a  cent  of  mine,"  Hunt  declared, 
"  for  I  drew  it  all  and  put  it  in  a  New  Bern  bank  ;  but 
that  is  a  small  matter,  if  he  has  lost  that  fine  farm. 
I  am  not  able  to  do  much,  but  he  was  a  kind  master, 
Scotty,  and  he  shall  never  want  for  a  home  while  I 
have  a  roof  over  my  head." 

"  Say,  that's  the  real  Southern  planter  talking !" 
Scotty  cried,  springing  up  and  seizing  Hunt's  hand. 
"  If  you  had  kept  on  working  for  wages  you  would 
never  have  been  able  to  offer  anything  to  anybody. 


SCOTTY   WATSON  IN  NEW  BERN.  155 

Now,  here  you  are  on  your  own  plantation,  inde- 
pendent as  a  lord.  There^s  nothing  like  it.  Hunt, 
and  if  I  can  earn  some  money  down  here  I  want  to 
buy  a  little  land  of  my  own.  By  the  way,  what  kind 
of  work  is  it  that  I  am  to  do  for  you  ?" 

"  Stand  alongside  of  me  and  chop  wood/'  Hunt 
answered,  with  a  laugh.  '^  I  have  just  bought  seven 
acres  of  woodland,  and  to  fence  that  and  cut  the  trees 
into  firewood  will  keep  us  both  busy  all  winter.  Then 
on  spare  days  one  of  us  can  take  it  over  to  town  in 
the  ox-cart  to  sell  it.  I  suppose  you  never  drove  a 
single  ox,  Scotty,  with  a  rope  harness?  But  you'll 
learn  lots  of  new  ways  here  in  North  Carolina,  and 
whenever  you  get  tired  you  can  rest  on  the  sunny  side 
of  the  house.'' 

After  a  short  time  Hunt  concluded  that  chopping 
trees  continuously  was  too  hard  work  for  Scotty  until 
he  got  used  to  it,  and  he  sent  him  frequently  to  the 
mill  with  Bob  to  draw  loads  of  boards  and  joists  and 
shingles  that  he  had  ordered.  The  appearance  of  this 
lumber  on  the  place  naturally  aroused  Mary's  curi- 
osity, and  she  asked  Hunt  whether  he  intended  to 
build  a  mansion. 

"  Not  exactly  that,"  he  answered,  "  but  I  think 
that  such  a  good  girl  deserves  a  little  better  house  to 
live  in ;  besides,  I  have  another  reason,"  he  added. 
"Now,  as  we  are  partners,  I  want  to  know  whether  you 
would  object  to  my  spending  a  little  of  our  money  to 
help  an  old  friend  ?" 

"Now,  Hunt,  I  know  what  you  are  coming  to," 


156 


PINE  RIDGE  PLANTATION. 


Mary  answered,  laying  her  hands  upon  his  arms. 
*^  Of  course,  I  should  not  object,  for  I  am  sure  that 
you  have  heard  from  Mr.  Warren,  and  that  he  is  the 
man  you  want  to  help." 

"  Yes,  I  have  heard  from  Mr.  Warren,''  Hunt  ad- 
mitted, "and  the  blow  has  struck.  The  farm  has 
been  sold  by  the  sheriff,  and  he  is  homeless  and  poor 
and  sick.'' 

"  Now,  lumber  is  very  cheap  down  here,  you  know," 
he  added,  "and  a  little  board  house  of  two  rooms, 
which  we  need,  anyhow,  will  not  cost  more  than  I 
can  pay  for  out  of  the  firewood." 

That  evening  Hunt  devoted  largely  to  literary  and 
artistic  labors,  and  in  the  latter  he  was  willingly 
assisted  by  Mary  and  Scotty.  After  writing  a  letter 
to  Mr.  Warren,  in  which  he  said  he  w^as  very  much 
pained  to  hear  of  the  latter's  misfortune,  he  told  him 
that  he  and  his  sister  had  met  with  at  least  moderate 
success,  and  now  owned  a  small  plantation  and  a  com- 
fortable home,  with  good  prospects. 

"  I  shall  never  forget  your  former  kindness  to  me," 
he  wrote,  "  and  if  it  is  really  true  that  the  farm  has 
been  sold,  I  am  proud  to  have  a  comfortable  home  to 
urge  you  to  come  and  visit  us  in.  This  is  only  a 
cabin  that  we  are  in,  but  we  are  just  about  to  build  a 
snug  little  board  house  of  two  rooms,  and  Mary  joins 
me  in  asking  you  to  come  to  us  and  occupy  one  of 
them  as  long  as  you  can.  Our  pigs  are  fat  and  the 
smoke-house  will  soon  be  full  of  bacon,  and  we  have 
plenty  to  eat.     Please  do  not  say  no,  Mr.  Warren,  but 


SCOTTY   WATSON  IN  NEW  BERN.  157 

come  and  see  us  and  let  us  try  to  repay  a  little  of  your 
kindness/' 

This  was  a  considerable  effort  for  Hunt,  who  was 
no  great  letter  writer ;  but  when  it  was  finished  he 
drew  a  rough  plan  of  the  house  that  he  had  designed. 
This  plan  provided  for  a  plain  little  house  of  one 
story,  with  two  rooms,  each  about  fifteen  feet  square, 
and  a  hall  ten  feet  wide  between  them,  besides  a  broad 
piazza  across  the  front  and  down  one  end.  The  only 
questionable  things  were  the  two  brick  chimneys  and 
fireplaces,  one  at  each  end. 

"  Yes,  we  must  come  to  brick  chimneys  sometime 
or  other,"  he  explained,  "  and  we  may  as  well  have 
them  now.  You  may  wonder  at  the  piazza  at  the 
end,"  he  went  on,  "  but  there  is  a  reason  for  that ;  my 
idea  is  to  put  the  new  house  by  the  side  of  this,  toward 
the  water,  so  that  this  shall  be  an  annex  to  it.  Then 
that  end  piazza  will  come  right  up  to  this  door,  and 
if  we  enclose  it  a  little  with  lattice  work  it  will  really 
make  one  building  ol  the  two.  I  suppose  you  don't 
know  Mr.  Dickenson,  in  New  Bern,"  he  went  on  ; 
"  he  is  partly  a  fisherman,  but  mostly  a  carpenter,  and 
a  very  good  one,  and  he  tells  me  that  he  can  build 
such  a  house,  with  my  help,  in  about  twenty  days,  at 
a  dollar  a  day.  So  I  estimate  that  the  house  will  not 
cost  us  much  more  than  forty  dollars,  for  materials 
and  labor  are  both  cheap  here,  you  know." 


CHAPTER  XIV. 


A   COTTON   CONTKACT. 


The  rapidity  with  which  one  of  the  light  houses 
of  the  South  can  be  built  was  surprising  to  the  three 
young  Northerners.  That  the  bricks  of  which  the 
chimneys  were  constructed  had  all  been  used  before 
did  not  detract  from  the  appearance  of  either  the 
chimneys  or  fireplaces.  Hunt  had  brought  the  bricks 
over  from  New  Bern  in  the  Maria  Louise,  and  carried 
the  necessary  lime  from  the  kilns  in  the  ox-cart,  and 
in  three  weeks  the  new  building  was  completed,  even 
to  steps  to  the  piazza,  glass  windows,  and  lattice  work 
at  the  end. 

Scotty  Watson  took  so  much  interest  in  it  that  he 
begged  Hunt  to  bring  some  paint  and  brushes,  and 
when  they  were  brought  he  and  Hunt  gave  the  build- 
ing two  coats  of  white,  and  the  shutters  two  coats  of 
dark  green.  When  this  was  done  the  result  was  as 
neat  and  trim  a  little  cottage  of  five  rooms  as  the 
county  contained,  only  two  of  the  rooms  being  new, 
and  three  in  the  old  house,  after  the  plan  on  page  159. 

One  improvement  that  Hunt  had  in  mind  for  the 
premises  he  said  nothing  about,  for  he  wished  to  give 
Mary  a  little  surprise.  When  he  went  next  time  to 
New  Bern  with  the  Maria  Louise  he  returned  with 

158 


A  COTTON  CONTRACT. 


159 


such  an  odd-looking  instrument  that  both  Mary  and 
Scotty  became  curious  about  it.  As  nearly  as  they 
could  make  out,  the  central  part  of  it  was  about  six 


• 

MARY'S   ROOM. 

SCOTTY- 8 
ROOM. 

OLD    LIVING-ROOM, 
WHERE    HUNT   SLEPT. 

r-n 

Lm 

NEW   ROOM. 

< 
N 
N 

< 

HALL. 

NEW   ROOM. 

n-n 

PIAZZA. 

LATTICE    WORK. 

feet  of  iron  pipe,  with  a  small  pump  attached  to  one 
end,  and  something  that  looked  like  a  perforated  cone 
at  the  other. 

"  What  in  the  world  is  that  thing,  Hunt  ?'^  Mary 
asked. 

"  That  is  a  well  that  I  have  been  buying  for  you/' 
he  answered.  "  It  is  too  much  labor  for  you  to  carry 
our  water  up  from  the  creek,  and  I  am  a  little  doubt- 
ful about  creek  water  being  wholesome  for  us  to  drink  ; 
so  I  have  bought  a  well." 

"  Bought  a  well  !"  Mary  cried,  holding  her  sides 
with  laughter.  "  Whoever  heard  of  buying  a  well  ? 
Anyhow,  that  is  no  well." 


160  FINE  RIDGE  PLANTATION. 

"  Ah  !  but  remember  yon  are  in  North  Carolina,  and 
that  is  a  North  Carolina  well/'  Hunt  answered. 
"  It  is  a  very  simple  and  suitable  kind  of  well,  too,  as 
you  shall  see.  The  soil  is  well  soaked  with  water 
because  there  is  so  much  water  all  around  us.  You 
see  that  little  cone  at  one  end  of  the  pipe?  That  is 
what  they  call  the  point,  and  from  its  shape  it  is  easily 
driven  into  the  ground.  When  the  pipe  is  driven  in 
to  nearly  its  full  length,  the  water  trickles  in  through 
those  holes  in  the  point,  and,  of  course,  the  pump 
draws  it  up.  Now  just  wait  an  hour  or  two,  and  you 
shall  have  one  of  the  greatest  improvements  you  have 
had  yet.  These  iron  wells  are  generally  driven  out  in 
the  lot,  but  I  do  not  see  why  we  should  not  have  the 
water  right  in  the  house." 

"  That  will  be  grand,"  Mary  agreed. 

Without  waiting  for  further  conversation.  Hunt  got 
his  hatchet  and  saw  and  proceeded  to  cut  away  a 
square  of  about  two  feet  in  the  floor  of  the  living- 
room,  not  far  from  the  fireplace.  Then  he  drove  the 
pipe  and  point  into  the  ground,  and  after  arranging  a 
long  trough,  made  of  two  boards,  to  carry  away  the 
waste  water,  he  called  Mary  to  see  that  she  had  good, 
pure  water  ready  to  hand  in  the  kitchen. 
\  "  Why,  you  are  a  real  inventor,  Hunt !"  she  cried. 
"  You  will  be  having  gas  and  electric  lights  in  the 
house  next." 

"  No  ;  we  are  North  Carolinians,  and  must  be  con- 
tent with  lighter  knots,  but  it  is  always  handy  to  have 
water  in  the  house,"  Hunt  laughed. 


A   COTTON  CONTRACT.  161 

With  the  new  house  all  complete,  even  to  water  in 
the  kitchen,  Hunt  was  anxious  to  hasten  the  sale  of 
wood,  for  he  desired  to  give  Mr.  Warren  something 
better  than  a  Hyde  County  bed  to  sleep  upon,  and 
did  not  wish  to  draw  further  upon  his  bank  account 
for  the  purchase  of  a  bedstead.  So  a  few  days  later 
he  sent  Scotty  over  to  New  Bern  to  get  the  expected 
letter  from  Mr.  Warren,  believing  that,  with  his 
longer  experience,  he  could  make  greater  progress  by 
doing  the  chopping  himself.  Scotty  returned  in  due 
time  with  the  expected  letter,  in  which  Mr.  Warren 
said  that  Hunt's  kindness  in  such  a  time  of  adversity 
touched  him  very  much,  and  that  they  might  expect 
to  see  him  on  the  plantation  within  a  week  or  two. 

With  the  stimulus  of  Mr.  Warren's  expected  arri- 
val, the  chopping  and  selling  of  wood  went  on  faster 
than  ever.  Two  loads  a  day  could  be  carried  to  New 
Bern  now.  Hunt  taking  one  load  in  the  boat  and 
Scotty  another  in  the  cart,  and,  after  a  large  number 
of  loads  had  been  cut  and  sold.  Hunt  returned  one 
day  with  an  inexpensive  wooden  bedstead  and  a  set 
of  springs  in  the  boat,  which  were  promptly  put  up  in 
the  room  that  Mr.  Warren  was  to  occupy. 

"  Now  it  is  my  turn  to  do  something,"  Mary  de- 
clared, "  for  I  want  to  help  a  little  toward  making 
Mr.  Warren  comfortable.  The  next  time  you  go  to 
the  city.  Hunt,  I  want  you  to  bring  me  a  great  lot  of 
cotton,  and  I  will  go  over  on  Fannie  to-morrow  and 
buy  some  blankets  and  sheets  and  a  little  stuff  to 
make  a  mattress  and  pillows  of." 
11 


162  PINE  RIDGE  PLANTATION. 

All  these  things  were  accordingly  procured,  and 
within  a  few  days  as  white  and  soft  a  bed  as  man  could 
wish  for  was  ready  for  the  expected  visitor. 

"  See  here,  Mary  !"  Hunt  exclaimed,  as  he  first 
looked  dehghtedly  into  the  room,  "  you  did  not  know 
that  when  I  first  came  to  New  Bern  I  slept  in  a  little 
shanty  in  Mr.  Burrus's  back  yard,  did  you  ?  Well, 
I  did,  though,  and  that  shanty  was  filled  with  furniture 
that  was  not  in  use,  and  I  believe  I  could  buy  some  of 
it  very  cheap.  A  little  furniture  would  not  come 
amiss  in  this  Fifth  Avenue  mansion  we  have  now,  and 
I  think  I  will  ask  Mr.  Burrus  about  it." 

"  We  do  need  a  little  furniture,"  Mary  admitted, 
"  and  I  should  much  rather  have  that  than  new  dresses, 
which  I  care  nothing  about." 

When  Hunt  took  a  load  of  wood  to  New  Bern 
next  day  he  took  pains  to  see  Mr.  Burrus  to  ask  him 
about  the  furniture. 

"  That  furniture  belongs  to  my  son-in-law,  Mr. 
Lumsden,"  Mr.  Burrus  told  him  ;  "  and  you  will  have 
to  see  him  about  it.  He  is  next  door  here,  ^^dth  J.  E. 
Latham  &  Co.,  cotton  brokers,  where  you  can  see  him 
at  once  if  you  wish." 

Hunt  accordingly  went  into  the  cotton  brokers'  to 
see  Mr.  Lumsden. 

This  visit  led  to  a  stroke  of  business  that  was 
entirely  unexpected  by  the  young  planter,  and  busi- 
ness of  such  importance  that  the  purchase  of  the 
furniture  was  only  a  small  part  of  it. 

"You  know  what  furniture  I  have  there,"   Mr. 


A  COTTON  CONTRACT.  163 

Lumsden  told  him,  "  for  you  have  seen  it,  and,  as  I 
have  no  earthly  use  for  it,  I  shall  be  glad  to  sell  it  to 
you  for  almost  nothing.  If  you  want  the  whole  lot 
for  ten  dollars  you  can  take  it  home  whenever  you 
are  ready.'^ 

"I  will  take  it,^^  Hunt  answered  without  hesita- 
tion, for  he  knew  that  the  furniture  included  chairs, 
tables,  bedsteads,  and  many  other  articles  that  he 
needed. 

"  Well,  that  business  is  soon  settled,"  Mr.  Lumsden 
laughed ;  "  but  Mr.  Latham  asked  me  to  find  you 
several  days  ago  and  speak  to  you  about  a  more  im- 
portant matter  than  furniture,  and  I  may  as  well  speak 
now."  At  that  moment  a  door  from  the  inner  office 
opened,  and  a  gentleman,  whom  Mr.  Lumsden  intro- 
duced as  Mr.  Latham,  came  out. 

"  Oh,  you  are  Huntley  Robertson  ?"  Mr.  Latham 
asked  ;  "  you  sold  two  bales  of  cotton  this  year  ?" 

"  Yes,  sir,"  Hunt  replied. 

"  And,  no  doubt,  you  expect  to  have  more  to  sell 
next  year,"  Mr.  Latham  continued.  "  Of  course,  you 
got  nine  and  a  half  cents  a  pound  this  year,  but  the 
price  is  liable  any  day  to  drop  to  the  old  point  of  five 
cents." 

"Now,  this  is  what  I  wanted  to  see  you  about, 
young  man,"  he  continued.  "  I  am  always  ready  for 
a  little  speculation  in  cotton,  and  I  make  you  this 
definite  offer.  The  price  next  year  may  be  nine  cents 
or  it  may  be  five,  and  no  man  alive  can  tell  which  it 
will  be ;  but  I  offer  you  now  in  advance  eight  cents 


164  PINE  RIDGE  PLANTATION. 

a  pound  for  your  entire  crop  next  year,  in  the  hope 
of  making  a  cent  or  two  a  pound  profit.^' 

"  Remember/^  he  continued,  "  if  we  make  this  agree- 
ment and  the  price  goes  away  up  to  ten  cents,  you  are 
still  bound  to  sell  to  me  at  eight.'' 

"  Yes,  sir,"  Hunt  answered,  "  I  understand  that, 
and  I  accept  your  offer ;  but  please  put  it  in  writing, 
and,  whatever  the  market  price  is,  my  next  year's 
cotton  is  yours  at  eight  cents  a  pound." 

"  Ah  !  you're  a  careful  business  man,"  Mr.  Latham 
declared,  ''and  you  are  quite  right  to  want  your  con- 
tracts in  writing.  Wait  a  moment,"  he  added,  "  and 
I  will  prepare  an  agreement  in  duplicate  which  we 
both  can  sign." 

A  moment  later  Mr.  Latham  returned  with  two 
copies  of  an  agreement,  one  of  which  he  had  signed, 
and  Hunt  very  willingly  signed  the  other,  which  bound 
him  to  sell  his  next  year's  cotton  at  eight  cents. 

"  I  think  you  have  done  a  great  stroke  of  business," 
Mr.  Lumsden  told  him,  as  Hunt  turned  to  go,  "for 
now  the  state  of  the  cotton  market  need  not  trouble 
you." 

"  Hunt  had  ten  dollars  in  his  pocket,  mostly  from 
the  sale  of  wood,  which  he  paid  for  the  furniture  after 
taking  a  receipt ;  and,  when  he  reached  home  several 
hours  later.  Bob  and  the  cart  made  only  a  small  part 
of  a  procession  of  several  carts  which  he  had  hired  to 
carry  his  furniture  home,  and  he  was  much  surprised 
himself  at  the  quantity  of  it. 

"Why,  Hunt,  you  must  have  bought  out  half  of 


A   COTTON  CONTRACT.  165 

New  Bern !''  Mary  cried,  as  the  men  were  carrying 
the  articles  into  the  house.  ^'Why,  here  is  an  oak 
extension  table/'  she  added,  "and  a  very  handsome 
one,  too;  and  here  are  bedsteads  and  rocking-chairs 
and  other  chairs,  and  bed-springs  and  two  dressing- 
cases,  and  many  other  things.  I  never  saw  such  a  lot 
of  furniture,  and  it  will  make  the  new  rooms  look  very 
grand.  Oh,  here  is  a  nice  mirror !"  she  cried ;  "  so 
we  can  see  how  fast  the  sun  turns  us  into  darkeys." 

"  I  have  sold  our  next  year's  cotton  to  J.  E.  Latham 
&  Co.  for  eight  cents  a  pound,  and  here  is  the  agree- 
ment," Hunt  told  her,  "  so  if  cotton  goes  down  to  five 
cents  you  need  not  worry,  for  ours  is  already  sold  for 
eight." 

"  Oh,  Hunt !"  Mary  cried,  "  I  hope  you  have  not 
mortgaged  our  next  year's  crop.  I  know  the  cotton 
growers  do  that  sometimes,  but  it  is  a  bad  plan." 

"  No,  indeed,"  Hunt  answered,  "  I  have  mortgaged 
nothing.  I  have  agreed  to  sell  at  a  certain  price,  but 
I  would  not  take  the  money  for  it  till  I  can  deliver  it. 
Not  I." 


CHAPTER  XV. 

A   BEAR   IN   THE   CORN. 

The  arrival  of  the  new  furniture  and  the  possession 
of  two  new  rooms  led  to  the  first  friendly  dispute  be- 
tween Hunt  and  his  sister  that  could  not  be  settled  by 
compromise.  Hunt  desired  Mary  to  occupy  one  of 
the  new  rooms  for  her  own,  but  she  put  her  foot  down 
flatly  and  declared  that  the  old  room  was  just  to  her 
liking,  and  that  the  new  room  opposite  the  one 
reserved  for  Mr.  Warren  should  be  the  parlor  and 
general  sitting-room,  where  visitors  could  be  taken. 
As  she  was  immovable  in  this  resolution,  the  new 
room  was  furnished  to  that  end,  and  very  comfortable 
and  homelike  it  looked  when  all  was  ready. 

The  disposal  of  the  new  furniture  about  the  house 
took  some  time,  but  most  of  that  work,  except  the 
lifting  of  the  heavy  pieces,  fell  to  Mary,  for  Hunt 
was  unwilling  longer  to  delay  his  labors  in  the  new 
wood  lot,  it  being  more  than  ever  desirable  now  to 
make  money  from  the  wood. 

"  Mary  is  a  girl,  after  all,  if  she  is  a  young  planter," 
Scotty  said,  to  account  for  her  several  mysterious 
visits  to  the  city  and  her  returns,  loaded  with  bundles 
of  dry  goods.  But  under  her  labors  the  house  soon 
began  to  bloom  like  a  cotton  field  in  July,  with  its 

166 


A  BEAR  IN  TEE  COBN.  167 

fresh  new  curtains  to  the  wmdows,  and  bright  covers 
to  the  tables. 

Mary  could  not  give  her  whole  time,  however,  to 
this  needed  decoration  of  the  house,  for  she  took 
entire  charge  of  the  poultry  and  feeding  the  stock. 
The  corn  patch  she  considered  under  her  special 
charge,  and  with  delight  she  watched  the  ripening  of 
the  great  ears. 

One  morning,  when  Hunt  and  Scotty  were  chopping 
as  usual  in  the  wood  lot,  she  went  out  to  examine  the 
corn,  followed,  of  course,  by  Rover  and  Buster,  who 
were  seldom  willing  to  let  her  out  of  their  sight. 

"  Hark  !^'  Hunt  said  to  Scotty,  pausing  a  moment 
before  he  let  his  ax  descend  ;  "  what  can  be  the  mat- 
ter with  those  dogs  ?  I  never  heard  them  howl  so 
savagely  before." 

The  words  were  scarcely  out  of  his  mouth  before 
they  both  saw  Mary  running  toward  the  fence  like 
mad ;  but  they  had  no  chance  to  ask  questions,  for, 
before  either  could  speak,  both  saw  a  great  black 
animal  moving  deliberately  toward  her,  with  Rover 
hanging  to  his  throat,  and  Buster,  generally  the  gen- 
tlest of  little  doggies,  holding  bravely  to  one  of  the 
creature's  hind  legs. 

Hunt  was  instantly  filled  with  apprehension,  for  he 
saw  that  the  intruder  was  a  black  bear,  and  he  feared 
that  Mary  might  be  deceived  by  its  deliberate  move- 
ments, as  the  dogs  evidently  had  been.  He  knew  that 
even  in  anger  the  bear  moves  slowly,  but  that  it  is  a 
terribly  dangerous  customer. 


168  PINE  RIDGE  PLANTATION. 

"  Mary  !''  he  cried,  ^^  Mary,  jump  the  fence  T'  And, 
as  the  bear  was  now  within  Iqw  or  twelve  feet  of  her, 
Mary  needed  no  second  bidding. 

"  Come,  Scotty  !''  he  cried.  "  Come  with  me  and 
bring  your  ax,  there's  a  bear  after  Mary  !''  He  led 
the  way  and  Scotty  followed,  both  with  their  sharp 
axes  in  their  hands,  and  both  ready  for  a  hard  fight. 
They  sprang  the  fence  toward  the  bear.  Hunt  saying 
quickly  to  Mary,  as  he  passed  her,  "  Keep  right  be- 
hind us  f  but  to  their  surprise  the  big  black  creature, 
still  munching  an  ear  of  corn,  turned  at  sight  of  them, 
and  tried  to  make  his  escape.  His  progress  through 
and  over  the  corn-stalks,  however,  was  somewhat 
checked  by  the  dogs.  He  was  now  bellowing  with 
pain  ;  for  Rover,  whose  bleeding  side  showed  that  he 
had  been  struck  by  one  of  the  powerful  paws,  had  a  firm 
grip  upon  his  nozzle,  and  Buster  held  to  the  hind  leg. 

Even  thus  hampered,  however,  the  powerful  beast 
waddled  almost  as  fast  as  the  boys  could  run,  and 
despairing  of  reaching  his  head  and  when  he  was  near 
enough,  Hunt  gave  the  bear  a  powerful  blow  with 
the  blunt  side  of  his  ax  on  the  back,  near  the  end  of 
the  spine.  This  was  a  stroke  in  the  solar  plexus 
which  disabled  the  beast,  who  immediately  stopped 
and  sat  up  on  his. haunches,  growling  ferociously,  and 
beating  the  air  savagely  with  his  front  paws. 

This  was  the  boys'  opportunity,  and  they  were 
quickly  on  both  sides  of  his  head  ;  but  the  question 
now  was  how  to  attack  him  with  their  axes  without 
hurting  the  dogs. 


A  BEAR  IN  THE  CORN.  169 

There  was  little  time  for  consideration ;  but  as 
Rover  let  go  of  the  nose  and  stood  out  of  reach  of  the 
great  paws,  barking  as  if  challenging  his  antagonist 
to  come  on  to  single  combat,  Hunt  dealt  the  brute  a 
heavy  blow  fair  between  the  eyes,  again  with  the 
blunt  side  of  his  ax. 

With  a  long,  deep  growl  of  anguish  the  bear  fell 
over  upon  his  side. 

"  Give  me  your  ax,  Scotty  !"  cried  Mary,  who  now 
came  up ;  and  she  struck  the  animal  again  between 
the  eyes,  but  this  time  with  the  sharp  edge  of  the  ax. 

Seeing  that  the  conflict  was  evidently  over,  for  the 
bear's  mangled  head  sank  helplessly  to  the  ground, 
Mary  ran  to  the  back  and  tore  Buster  away,  keeping 
him  in  her  arms,  fearing  that  her  little  pet  might  yet 
be  injured  by  the  deadly  claws. 

It  was  still  a  question  how  the  bear  was  to  be 
handled,  for,  although  he  was  certainly  vanquished, 
he  might  at  any  moment  strike  out  with  his  powerful 
paws,  a  blow  from  which  might  prove  disastrous. 
Hunt  settled  the  question,  however,  by  taking  out  his 
big  pocket  knife,  and,  with  one  skilful  stroke,  driving 
the  long  blade  into  the  bear's  throat.  Instantly  the 
blood  began  to  flow,  and  in  a  minute  or  two  the  bear 
straightened  out,  and  with  a  groan  gave  up  his  life. 

"  Look  how  he's  trampled  my  corn  !''  Mary  cried. 
"  Let  me  have  another  whack  at  him." 

"  No,  don't  cut  him  any  more,"  Hunt  answered, 
"  for  we  must  save  his  skin  as  a  trophy ;  he  is  dead 
enough  now,  and  he  only  came  in  to  steal  corn.     I 


170  PINE  RIDGE  PLANTATION. 

am  rather  sorry  for  the  poor  fellow,  but  he  should  not 
have  stolen  corn,  and  we  need  the  meat/' 

"  We  will  drag  him  into  the  smoke-house,  Scotty, 
when  he's  surely  dead,  and  then  skin  him  and  cut  him 
up,  and  smoke  what  we  can't  eat  fresh." 

"  What  a  big  bear  for  Buster  to  kill !"  Mary  ex- 
claimed, stroking  her  little  favorite's  head. 

"  Buster  !"  Hunt  laughed.  "  Do  you  think  Buster 
killed  him  ?" 

"  Well,  I  reckon  you  killed  him,"  Mary  admitted, 
"  but  he  would  have  made  his  escape  if  Buster  had 
not  clung  to  his  leg.  Here,  Rover,  old  boy,  you  did 
nobly,  too  !  Oh,  this  is  only  a  scratch  on  Rover's 
side,  that  will  soon  be  well !" 

Hunt  and  Scotty  remained  on  guard  for  some  time 
with  their  axes,  half  fearing  that  the  enemy  might 
still  revive  ;  but  the  pool  of  blood  by  his  throat  soon 
showed  that  he  would  never  steal  corn  any  more, 
and,  at  Hunt's  request,  Mary  brought  a  rope  from  the 
stable,  with  which  Hunt  and  Scotty  dragged  their 
prize  into  the  smoke-house.  There  Hunt  took  his 
first  lesson  in  skinning  game,  and  the  handsome  black 
hide  was  soon  nailed,  hair  inward,  against  the  sunny 
wall  of  the  old  house,  and  well  salted,  and  the  carcass 
was  cut  into  quarters.  Then  some  fine  steaks  and 
roasts  were  cut,  and  the  remainder,  after  being  thor- 
oughly rubbed  with  salt,  Avas  hung  up  to  be  smoked. 

"  Well,  I  built  this  house  to  smoke  pork  in,"  Hunt 
declared,  when  the  fire  was  lighted  on  the  earthen 
floor,  "  but  this  is  North  Carolina,  friends,  and  bear 


A  BEAR  IN  THE  CORN.  171 

meat  is  as  good  as  pork.  Pig  hams  are  good/'  he 
added,  "but  we'll  soon  have  a  chance  to  try  some 
bear  hams."  Then  they  all  returned  to  the  house, 
when  their  conversation  was  interrupted  by  the  furious 
barking  of  both  dogs. 

"  Why,  there's  a  horse  and  buggy  outside,"  Mary 
announced,  after  opening  the  door  a  crack  and  looking 
out,  "  and  I  think  there  are  two  men  in  the  buggy ; 
somebody  has  come  to  see  us." 


.V 


CHAPTER  Xyi. 

THE   PLANTATION   GROWS. 

There  was  a  buggy  on  the  premises  beyond  a 
doubt,  and  the  gentleman  who  stepped  out  of  it  and 
looked  about  him,  as  if  undecided  which  way  to  turn, 
was  no  other  than  Mr.  Warren.  Hunt  had  peeped 
out  of  the  door,  and  at  his  exclamation,  ^'  Here's  Mr. 
Warren  !"  all  three  ran  out  to  greet  him. 

"  Why,  Hunt,  you  don't  mean  to  say  this  is  your 
place !"  he  exclaimed,  taking  Hunt's  outstretched 
hand.  "  I  had  no  idea  of  finding  you  so  well  settled. 
I  am  glad  to  be  safely  here,  and  glad  to  find  you  so 
prosperous ;  but  who  do  you  think  this  is  who  brought 
me  over  from  New  Bern  in  the  buggy  ?" 

The  gentleman  did  not  wait  for  any  guesses  on  this 
point,  but  stepped  smilingly  out,  and  Colonel  Andrews 
stood  among  them.  Then  there  was  a  general  hand- 
shaking, and  many  more  assurances  of  welcome  were 
given  to  both  by  Hunt  and  Mary. 

"  Well,  you  have  shown  the  wisdom  of  my  prophecy, 
Hunt,"  the  colonel  said,  shaking  hands  with  all  three 
of  the  young  cotton  planters.  "  I  remember  telling 
you  that  you  could  do  well  in  North  Carolina,  and  your 
place  here  proves  the  truth  of  my  words.     Been  at 

172 


THE  PLANTATION  GROWS.  173 

work  in  the  cotton  fields?^'  he  asked,  noticing  the 
confusion  of  their  dress. 

"No,  sir;  we  have  been  killing  a  bear/'  Mary 
answered. 

"  Then  you  have  been  doing  a  public  service/'  the 
colonel  asserted.  "  The  bears  are  a  great  nuisance  in 
this  part  of  the  world.  Where  there  is  a  corn  field 
they  are  sure  to  find  it,  and  they  do  a  great  deal  of 
damage.  I  see  you  have  some  corn  here,  and  no 
doubt  this  one  came  to  steal  it.  Mr.  Warren,  here, 
used  to  put  scarecrows  in  his  corn  fields  to  frighten 
away  the  birds,  but  the  best  scarecrow  for  a  bear  is  a 
good  gun.'' 

"We  have  no  gun,  sir,"  Mary  replied,  "but  we 
have  two  good  dogs ;  one  of  them  caught  the  bear  by 
the  throat,  and  the  other  one  by  the  leg,  and  Hunt 
and  Scotty  killed  him  with  their  axes." 

"  Then  I  am  in  luck,"  the  colonel  laughed,  "  for  I 
am  very  fond  of  fresh  bear  meat.  It  must  have  been 
good  fortune  that  took  me  up  to  Ontario  County  a 
few  days  ago.  Finding  that  Mr.  Warren  ^vas  soon 
coming  to  visit  you,  I  induced  him  to  come  down 
with  me,  and  when  we  reached  New  Bern  I  hired  this 
horse  and  buggy  to  bring  him  over.  I  had  heard 
that  you  were  doing  well.  Hunt,  but  I  really  did  not 
expect  to  find  you  quite  as  well  situated  as  this.  1 
know  you  take  good  care  of  your  animals,  and  if  you 
will  let  somebody  give  my  horse  a  feed,  we  will  all 
go  inside  and  try  some  of  your  chairs." 

"You  remember  Scotty  Watson,  Colonel  Andrews?" 


174  PINE  RIDGE  PLANTATION. 

Hunt  asked.  "  You  know  we  had  a  little  talk  mth 
him  one  day  in  Geneva.  Scotty  is  w^orking  for  me 
now,  and  I  think  he  likes  North  Carolina  almost  as 
well  as  I  do." 

"  Oh,  yes,  I  remember  Scotty  !"  Colonel  Andrews 
answered,''  and  I  am  glad  he  has  been  wise  enough 
to  profit  by  your  example." 

In  another  minute  they  were  all  in  the  new  sitting- 
room,  and  Mr.  Warren's  satchels  had  been  carried 
into  his  sleeping-room. 

"  Well,  I  declare,  Hunt !"  that  gentleman  exclaimed, 
"  it  does  my  old  heart  good  to  be  sitting  in  your  house. 
No  mortgages  on  it,  I  hope  ?"  he  continued. 

"  No,  sir,  I  have  never  mortgaged  anything ;  what 
little  we  have  is  all  our  own,"  Hunt  answered. 

"That's  right;  that's  right!"  Mr.  Warren  ex- 
claimed ;  "  they  are  dangerous  things.  Hunt,  and  they 
have  given  me  a  heap  of  trouble ;  but  I  am  not  quite 
on  the  road  to  the  poor  house  yet." 

"  No,  sir,  nor  won't  be,  while  Mary  and  I  have  a 
home,'^  Hunt  declared. 

Mary  did  not  forget  that  she  was  the  housekeeper, 
and,  much  as  she  desired  to  sit  with  their  visitors, 
she  soon  withdrew  to  prepare  the  dinner ;  and  it  was 
not  long  before  a  white  cloth  was  spread  over  the 
extension  table,  preparatory  to  her  bringing  in  a  steam- 
ing dish  of  spoon  bread  and  two  smoking  bear  steaks, 
nicely  browned.  Both  of  the  visitors  ate  heartily, 
and  both  declared  that  nowhere  could  they  better 
enjoy  a  dinner  than  m  the  home  of  Hunt  Robertson. 


THE  PLANTATION  GROWS.  175 

The  dinner  naturally  opened  the  floodgates  of 
conversation,  and  Scotty  had  the  good  sense  to  retire 
when  it  was  finished,  to  continue  his  chopping. 
Then  both  the  gentlemen  showed  a  great  interest  in 
Hunt's  affairs. 

"  I  have  been  hearing  things  about  you  over  in 
New  Bern,  Hunt,"  the  colonel  said.  "You  know 
everybody  knows  his  neighbor's  affairs  in  small  towns  ; 
as  I  come  from  near  Goldsboro'  I  have  the  privilege 
of  calling  New  Bern  a  small  town.  I  hear  that  you 
have  been  earning  money  by  working  for  wages  ever 
since  you  came  here,  and  that  is  much  to  your  credit. 
But  I  hear,  also,"  he  continued,  "  that  you  have  made 
a  contract  to  sell  your  next  year's  cotton  at  eight  cents 
a  pound.  I  suppose  you  know  that  such  a  contract 
is  of  great  importance  to  a  planter,  and  may  mean  a 
great  deal  of  money  to  you  if  you  manage  properly." 

"  I  have  been  thinking  of  hardly  anything  else  for 
the  last  week,  sir,"  Hunt  answered ;  "  and  I  am  very 
glad  to  have  the  chance  to  consult  with  you  and  Mr. 
Warren  about  it.  I  think  I  see  in  it  an  opportunity 
to  do  the  best  stroke  of  business  I  have  ever  done." 

"  That's  good  !"  Colonel  Andrews  exclaimed.  "  You 
have  been  making  a  little  money  with  your  hands,  but 
you  can  always  make  more  money  by  working  with 
your  brains,  if  you  use  them  in  the  right  way.  If  it 
is  true,  as  I  hear,  that  your  contract  is  with  J.  E. 
Latham  &  Co.,  you  have  a  certainty  of  eight  cents 
for  your  next  cotton,  because  that  is  a  responsible 
firm." 


176  PINE  RIDGE  PLANTATION. 

"  Yes,  sir ;  I  made  the  contract  with  Mr.  Latham 
himself/'  Hunt  replied ;  "  and  I  have  been  thinking 
a  great  deal  about  it." 

"  There  is  a  large  piece  of  land  of  about  one  hundred 
acres  adjoining  me  here,  on  the  side  away  from  the 
creek,  which  belongs  to  Doctor  Primrose,  and  which 
he  has  offered  to  sell  me  for  five  dollars  an  acre, 
as  his  large  practice  in  New  Bern  keeps  him  very 
busy.  I  have  no  five  hundred  dollars  to  buy  land 
with  at  present ;  but  as  the  land  is  only  a  burden  to 
the  doctor,  I  think  he  would  sell  it  to  me  for  a 
present  payment  of  fifty  dollars,  with  the  understand- 
ing that  I  am  to  pay  him  the  balance  and  take  the  title 
in  one  year.'' 

"  As  I  averaged  half  a  bale  to  the  acre  this  year, 
I  estimate  that  on  the  hundred  acres  I  could  produce 
fifty  bales,  which,  at  eight  cents  a  pound,  Avould  be 
worth  nearly  two  thousand  dollars." 

"  That  is  a  large  speculation  for  me  to  undertake, 
sir,"  he  went  on,  smiling,  "  but  I  can  hardly  call  it  a 
speculation,  for  at  the  lowest  price  of  cotton  the  land 
would  more  than  pay  for  itself  in  one  year,  and  Mr. 
Latham  has  contracted  to  buy  all  my  cotton  next  year 
at  eight  cents,  no  matter  what  land  I  raise  it  on." 

"  Hunt,  there  is  a  brilliant  opening  for  you  !"  the 
colonel  exclaimed.  "You  and  I  both  know  that 
cotton  at  eight  cents  means  wealth  for  the  planter. 
I  hope  you  will  not  let  such  an  opportunity  escape." 

"  I  know  very  little  about  cotton,"  Mr.  Warren 
interjected  ;  "  but  in  my  many  years  of  farming  in  the 


THE  PLANTATION  GROWS.  177 

North  I  never  hj^d  such  a  chance  as  that.  It  looks 
to  me  as  if  Hunt  had  prosperity  right  in  his  grasp  if 
he  manages  well,  and  I  am  rejoiced  at  it.'^ 

Colonel  Andrews  was  not  able  to  make  a  long  stay, 
and  soon  drove  back  to  New  Bern,  and,  for  many  days 
and  weeks  thereafter  Hunt  and  Mary  found  their 
chief  pleasure  in  making  Mr.  Warren  comfortable  and 
happy.  The  first  oil  lamp  that  had  ornamented  the 
little  premises  was  bought  for  his  room ;  but  in  the 
cool  autumnal  evenings  there  was  always  a  fire  of 
lighter  knots  on  his  hearth. 

It  was  through  Mr.  Warren  that  Hunt  was  able  to 
open  negotiations  with  Doctor  Primrose  sooner  than 
he  anticipated.  Having  a  slight  increase  in  his  ail- 
ment, Mr.  Warren  desired  the  attendance  of  a  phys- 
ician, and  Hunt  could  do  neither  more  nor  less  than 
suggest  Doctor  Primrose  to  him,  for  he  had  been 
hearing,  since  his  arrival  in  New  Bern,  repeated 
accounts  of  Doctor  Primrose's  skill.  These  accounts 
were  verified  in  Mr.  Warren's  case,  for  the  doctor 
cured  him,  while  many  another  physician  would  have 
been  deciding  whether  he  should  take  the  trouble  to 
drive  so  far  into  the  country. 

John  Green,  the  doctor's  dog,  accompanied  him  on 
all  his  visits,  and  soon  struck  up  a  friendship  with 
Rover  and  Buster.  On  the  occasion  of  one  of  the 
visits,  after  the  doctor  had  concluded  his  professional 
work.  Hunt  made  opportunity  to  speak  to  him  about 
the  land,  and  he  soon  found  that  the  doctor  was  willing 
to  accept  the  terms  proposed,  to  make  an  immediate 

12 


178  PINE  RIDGE  plans' TATION. 

sale  on  payment  of  fifty  dollars  down,  with  the  under- 
standing that  Hunt  should  pay  five  dollars  an  acre 
for  the  land  in  one  year,  when  the  deed  should  be 
drawn. 

"  I  am  willing  to  sell  you  the  land  on  such  terms," 
the  doctor  said,  "because  the  only  benefit  I  derive 
from  it  is  the  privilege  of  paying  the  taxes,  for  I  am 
kept  much  too  busy  to  think  of  growing  cotton  or 
anything  else." 

"  Of  course,  I  will  not  give  you  the  deed,"  he  added, 
"  until  you  have  paid  for  the  land ;  but  as  soon  as  you 
pay  me  the  first  fifty  dollars  you  can  take  possession 
at  once ;  and  under  our  agreement  it  will  practically 
be  your  own  land  from  that  moment." 

"  Then  this  will  be  a  good  time  to  make  the  first 
payment,  doctor,"  Hunt  said,  and  he  took  out  his 
check-book  and  drew  his  check  for  fifty  dollars,  which 
he  handed  to  the  doctor. 

"  Pine  Ridge  Plantation  is  growing,"  the  latter 
said,  with  a  laugh,  as  he  took  the  check.  "  Five 
acres  you  bought  first,  I  think ;  then  seven,  making 
twelve ;  and  now  you  have  added  one  hundred  acres, 
giving  you  a  total  of  one  hundred  and  twelve  acres. 
With  that  much  land,  and  next  year's  cotton  sold  at 
eight  cents,  you  ought  to  do  well,  as  I  am  sure  you 
will." 

Mr.  Warren  was  so  much  better  that  he  was  able 
to  walk  over  the  new  purchase  with  Hunt,  and  he 
pronounced  it  excellent  cotton  land,  all  the  better  for 
having  grown  no  crops  in  recent  years. 


THE  PLANTATION  GROWS.  179 

'^  Yes,  sir,  it  is  new  land,'^  Hunt  agreed,  "  and  for 
that  reason  will  require  less  fertilizer,  for  old  land 
that  has  borne  frequent  crops  is  often  exhausted.  I 
am  sure  I  can  look  to  it  for  half  a  bale  to  the  acre." 

^'  And  this  piece,"  he  added,  ^'  gives  new  force  to 
the  name  we  have  selected  for  the  little  plantation. 
We  named  it  Pine  Ridge  Plantation  long  ago,  on 
account  of  the  bluff  along  the  creek  with  a  growth  of 
pines ;  but  this,  you  see,  is  a  still  higher  ridge,  and  it 
also  is  dotted  with  pines." 

^'  This  new  purchase,"  Hunt  continued,  "  is  going 
to  make  some  change  in  my  plans ;  when  I  had  only 
twelve  acres  my  idea  was  to  use  most  of  the  seven- 
acre  plot  for  cotton.  But  now  that  I  have  plenty  of 
room  for  cotton,  we  can  increase  the  stock  of  pigs, 
and  give  more  room  to  corn,  for  I  do  not  half  like  the 
idea  of  buying  corn  for  the  stock  when  I  can  just  as 
well  grow  it." 

"  You  have  a  larger  place  now.  Hunt,  than  I  had 
in  Ontario  County,"  Mr.  AYarren  told  him,  "  and  a 
better  chance  to  make  money." 


CHAPTER  Xyil. 

IN  THE   OLD   FERRY   HOUSE. 

"With  the  cool  days  of  late  autumn,  the  time  for 
'^  hawg  killin' "  arrived.  The  six  little  pigs  had  grown 
as  large  as  their  parents,  and  the  carcasses  of  the  eight 
went  far  toward  filling  up  the  smoke-house  as  Hunt 
desired. 

Mr.  Warren  was  a  treasure  while  the  killing  was 
in  progress,  for  Northern  farmers  as  well  as  Southern 
planters  know  something  about  killing  pigs  and  curing 
pork ;  and  his  advice  was  valuable.  With  Scotty's 
help  Hunt  cut  each  carcass  into  six  parts,  which  he 
piled  in  salt  upon  the  table  in  the  smoke-house.  In 
this  condition  he  let  it  remain  for  two  weeks,  by  the 
advice  of  Mr.  Warren  and  Mr.  Vincent,  and  then 
the  pieces  were  hung  up,  and  the  fire  was  kept  smoul- 
dering to  make  a  good  smoke. 

"  How  long  must  we  keep  the  fire  burning  to  smoke 
the  pork,  Hunt  ?"  Mary  asked. 

"  Three  months  is  the  shortest  possible  time,  and 
six  months  will  be  better.  I  hope  to  see  the  big  lot 
green  with  little  cotton  plants  before  we  should  let  it 
go  out,"  Hunt  answered. 

With  bear  meat,  new  hams,  poultry  and  eggs,  and 
plenty  of  fresh  fish,  the  Pine  Ridge  Plantation  table 

180 


IN  THE  OLD  FERRY  HOUSE.  I8l 

was  always  well  supplied.  The  cutting  and  selling  of 
wood  continued  unremittingly,  and  before  really  cold 
weather  came  the  wood  lot  was  almost  converted  into 
an  open  field. 

^^Do  you  never  take  a  holiday,  Hunt?"  Mr. 
Warren  asked  liim  one  day.  '^  You  have  such  a  good 
boat,  and  there  is  so  much  water  all  around  us,  that 
I  think  we  ought  to  make  a  little  picnic  some  day 
when  you  are  not  too  busy," 

"I  should  enjoy  it  very  much,  sir,"  Hunt  an- 
swered, "  and,  as  plenty  of  wood  is  cut  for  Scotty  to 
take  over  to  the  city,  I  should  like  to  take  you  out  to- 
morrow, if  it  is  a  pleasant  day." 

Mr.  Warren  gladly  agreed  to  this,  and  early  the 
next  morning  Hunt  and  Mary  were  busy  provisioning 
the  boat  for  a  day's  picnic. 

^'  If  we  cross  the  Neuse  River,"  Hunt  explained, 
"  keeping  well  to  the  eastward,  or  toward  the  entrance 
to  the  sound,  we  shall  find  a  beautiful  white  beach^ 
which  is  in  Pamlico  County,  and  that  will  answer 
our  purpose  nicely." 

When  they  set  sail  later,  the  boat  contained  both 
bacon  and  bear's  meat,  and  a  frying-pan  to  cook  them 
in,  and  before  they  rounded  the  point  into  the  Neuse, 
they  stopped  at  the  fish  market,  where  Hunt  bought 
a  bushel-basketful  of  oysters  for  twenty-five  cents, 
promising  to  return  the  basket.  Then  they  sailed 
into  the  Neuse,  and  steered  diagonally  across  it, 
toward  the  white  beach,  which  they  could  just  see. 
The  sun   shining  bright  and  warm  soon  made  them 


182  PINE  RIDOE  PLANTATION. 

thirsty,  and  they  discovered,  when  too  late,  that  they 
had  neglected  to  add  a  jug  of  drinking-water ;  but 
the  sky  soon  became  overcast,  and  a  fresh  breeze 
sprang  up  from  the  northeast,  under  which  the  broad 
Neuse  became  rough.  Presently  the  breeze  freshened 
to  a  gale,  and  Hunt  became  alarmed  for  the  safety  of 
his  passengers,  for,  notwithstanding  the  lowered  centre- 
board, the  Maria  Louise  more  than  once  shipped 
water. 

"  I  am  not  much  of  a  sailor.  Hunt,"  Mr.  Warren 
expostulated,  "  and  I  don't  like  the  idea  of  going  nearer 
the  sound,  where  it  must  be  still  rougher.  Why  not 
turn  about  and  go  up  the  river  instead  ?" 

"  Just  what  I  was  going  to  propose,"  Hunt  replied. 
"We  came  for  pleasure,  and  it  would  be  no  pleas- 
ure to  be  drowned ;"  and  so  saying  he  put  the  boat 
about. 

"  You  see  that  bridge  ahead  of  us  ?"  Hunt  asked, 
pointing  to  the  long  bridge.  "  That  was  built  largely 
for  the  accommodation  of  the  farmers  in  the  interior^ 
who  brought  their  produce  to  New  Bern.  Before  it 
was  built  there  was  a  ferry,  and,  as  the  farmers  gen- 
erally came  with  their  teams,  and  often  had  to  spend 
the  night  before  crossing,  there  was  a  little  country 
hotel  at  the  end  of  the  road,  called  the  ferry  house. 
It  is  still  there,  as  you  can  see,  but  is  no  longer  used, 
and  stands  empty,  so  we  can  have  our  picnic  there,  if 
you  like,  and  there  is  a  well  back  of  it." 

"  To  the  old  ferry  house  by  all  means  !"  Mr.  War- 
ren exclaimed ;  "  but  with  this  gale  blowing  and  the 


IN  THE  OLD  FERRY  HOUSE.  183 

water  so  rough  I  am  afraid  you  will  find  it  hard  to 
land  us  there." 

"  I  think  I  can  manage  that,  sir/'  Hunt  replied. 
"  In  North  Carolina  we  learn  a  good  many  little  tricks 
about  managing,  and  I  reckon  I  can  set  you  ashore 
with  dry  feet.'' 

This  looked  rather  doubtful  to  Mary  and  Mr.  War- 
ren, however,  for,  although  both  jib  and  sail  were 
down,  the  wind  was  carrying  the  little  boat  up  stream 
at  a  tremendous  rate,  and  the  old  pier  was  so  dilapi- 
dated that,  even  if  they  could  reach  it,  it  would  not 
serve  them  for  a  landing-place,  most  of  the  flooring 
having  disappeared. 

While  the  passengers  were  still  in  doubt  about  the 
landing,  and  when  well  in  toward  shore  and  directly 
opposite  the  old  house.  Hunt  suddenly  brought  the 
boat  about  into  the  wind,  and,  with  the  painter  in  his 
hands,  he  sprang  ov^erboard,  standing  in  water  up  to 
his  armpits,  and  laughing  a  little  at  Mr.  Warren's 
consternation. 

"  It's  all  right !"  he  shouted,  "  both  of  you  sit  in 
the  stern,  and  I  Avill  soon  have  you  ashore." 

When  they  were  both  seated  astern  he  towed  the 
boat  shoreward,  and  soon  pulled  the  uplifted  bow  well 
up  on  the  sand,  so  that  they  could  both  land  dry- 
shod.  Then  he  made  the  painter  fast  to  a  young  tree 
near  the  water,  and  they  all  started  for  the  abandoned 
house,  which  was  half  a  ruin  ;  but  they  had  gone  only 
a  few  steps  when  Scotty  Watson  ran  down  the  path 
to  meet  them. 


184  PINE  RIDGE  PLANTATION. 

"  I  saw  you  put  in  here  as  I  was  going  up  East 
Front  Street  with  my  load/'  he  said,  in  explanation 
of  his  unexpected  appearance,  ^^  and,  as  I  was  afraid 
you  might  be  in  trouble,  I  ran  across  the  bridge. 
There  is  a  little  darkey  in  the  house,"  he  added,  "  who 
says  he  knew  you  in  the  North.'' 

^'  In  the  North  !"  Hunt  exclaimed.  ^^  Not  stand- 
ing on  liis  head,  is  he  ?" 

^'  That's  just  what  he  is  doing,"  Scotty  answered. 
"  He  is  a  queer  little  chap,  and  he  says  he  came  over 
here  fishing,  and  only  ran  into  the  house  when  he  saw 
me  coming." 

A  queer  little  darkey,  standing  on  his  head,  re- 
minded Hunt  at  once  of  Nathaniel  Brown,  the  prom- 
ising son  of  Mose,  the  ''  boy  "  of  Colonel  Andrews, 
who  had  long  before  frightened  Mrs.  Warren  half  to 
death  by  standing  on  his  head  in  her  kitchen  ;  but  it 
seemed  impossible  that  he  should  be  again  in  North 
Carolina.  His  doubts  upon  this  point,  however,  were 
soon  set  to  rest  by  the  appearance  of  Nathaniel  him- 
self, who  came  spinning  down  the  path,  arms  and 
legs  extended,  and  rolling  himself  like  a  cart  wheel. 
Suddenly,  with  a  handspring,  he  resumed  his  feet, 
and,  pulling  off  his  cap,  he  bowed  and  grinned  and 
asked : 

"  Mawnin',  leddies  an'  gemmen ;  is  dey  anythin' 
wat  I  kin  do  fer  you  ?" 

"  Why,  this  is  Nathaniel,  large  as  life,  or  rather 
small  as  life  !"  Hunt  exclaimed.  ^^  This  is  the  boy 
whom  Mrs.  Warren  found  behind  the  kitchen  stove, 


IN  THE  OLD  FERRY  HOUSE.  185 

Mr.  Warren.  How  in  the  world  did  you  get  back 
here,  Nathaniel  ?" 

"  I  come  in  de  choo-choo  boat,  boss/'  the  boy  an- 
swered. "  Wen  Kunnel  Andrews  come  back  he  bring 
me  dad  along,  an'  me  dad  he  bring  me ; "  and  he 
clapped  a  hand  over  one  ear  as  if  his  father  had 
dragged  him  back  by  the  ear. 

"  Too  much  wuk  up  Norf  for  me,  sah.  Has  you  got 
some  wuk  you  could  give  a  pore  little  niggah,  sah  ?" 

"  A\Tiy,  that  is  the  boy,  sure  enough,  who  was  up 
on  the  farm  one  day  when  you  were  only  a  boy  your- 
self. Hunt.  I  remember  him  now,  and  I  should  think 
a  little  shaver  of  his  size  might  be  made  very  useful 
to  you  over  on  the  plantation,'^  Mr.  Warren  said. 

"  Maybe  he  might  be  taught  to  help  Mary  in  the 
house,"  Hunt  answered,  "  if  he  is  good  for  anything." 

"  Yes,  sah,  I'se  bery  good,  sah !"  the  little  darkey 
exclaimed.  "  I  wuk  good  fer  you  if  you  give  me  de 
chance." 

"  Well,  I  have  a  mind  to  give  you  a  trial,"  Hunt 
replied,  "  if  my  sister  likes  you  ;  but  I'll  tell  you  one 
thing,  boy,  no  handsprings  over  there,  and  we'll  not 
call  you  Nathaniel,  for  we're  not  going  to  give  you  a 
name  that's  longer  than  you  are  yourself.  Jim  Crow 
will  be  a  good  name  for  you,  and  you  may  as  well 
begin  now,  so  you  can  help  carry  this  stuff  up  to  the 
house." 

^'  T'ank  you,  boss  !"  and,  so  saying,  the  new  Jim 
Crow  seized  a  basket  and  trotted  up  to  the  house  as 
fast  as  his  little  legs  and  big  feet  would  let  him. 


186  PINE  RIDGE  PLANTATION. 

They  soon  found  that  they  had  reached  shelter  just 
in  time,  for  they  were  hardly  on  the  shaky  piazza  with 
their  goods  before  rain  began  to  fall  in  torrents ;  and 
just  as  they  were  about  to  open  the  rickety  front  door 
and  step  in  it  was  opened  from  the  inside,  and  a 
colored  man  stepped  out,  whom  Hunt  had  seen  before. 

"  Mawnin',  boss  !"  the  man  said ;  "  I^se  Kunnel 
Andrews's  boy  Mose.  De  kunnel  he  lef  me  in  New 
Bern  w'en  he  go  back  to  Goldsboro',  an'  I  glad  if  dey 
anythin'  I  kin  do  to  help  you." 

"  If  there  are  any  more  in  your  family  I  suppose 
they  are  in  the  house,''  Hunt  laughed,  "  for  the  whole 
family  seems  to  be  turning  up ;  but  I  think  you  can 
make  yourself  useful,  Mose ;  if  you  know  how  to  open 
oysters  you  can  bring  that  big  basket  of  oysters  up 
from  the  boat  and  open  them." 

Mose  had  been  well  trained,  and,  with  a  cheerful 
"  Yes,  sah  !"  he  ran  down  in  the  rain  to  the  boat  and 
brought  the  oysters,  and  immediately  began  to  open 
them  on  the  piazza  into  a  dish  that  had  been  brought, 
throwing  the  shells  into  the  front  yard  in  true  Southern 
darky  fashion. 

The  preparation  of  dinner  was  soon  under  way, 
and,  as  Mose  waited  on  the  table,  or  rather  on  the 
two  barrels  covered  by  a  board  that  answered  for  a 
table.  Hunt  told  him  that  he  thought  of  taking  his 
hopeful  son  home  to  work  for  him. 

"  Den  make  him  wuk,  boss,  for  he  a  wuthless  little 
niggah,  sah  !"  Mose  replied.  "  I  hope  you  lick  all 
the  han' springs  outen  him." 


IN  THE  OLD  FERRY  BOVSE.  187 

This  was  a  poor  recommendation  from  the  boy's 
father,  but  Hunt  was  sure  that  the  trouble  with  Jim 
Crow  was  ignorance  rather  than  viciousness,  and  that 
he  might  be  trained  into  something  useful ;  so,  after 
the  dinner  was  eaten,  the  rain  having  ceased,  the  party 
returned  to  the  boat  to  go  home.  Their  walk  down 
the  path  was  enlivened  by  the  sight  of  Jim  Crow 
hotly  chased  by  a  big  black  billy  goat,  one  of  five  or 
six  that  roamed  in  the  yard ;  but  when  Mose  came  up 
with  the  boy,  the  goat  having  retired,  he  first  took 
him  by  the  ear  and  held  him  fast ;  then  picked  him 
up  neck  and  heels  and  threw  him  bodily  into  the  boat, 
where  he  landed  lightly  on  his  hands,  and  made  comi- 
cal faces  at  the  rest  of  the  world,  feet  upward. 

This  throw  was  something  of  a  little  journey  for 
Jim  Crow,  for  the  boat  was  now  four  or  five  feet  from 
the  shore,  a  rise  of  the  water  having  entirely  changed 
the  situation. 

There  is  no  tide  worthy  the  name  in  the  Neuse 
River  at  New  Bern,  but  the  wind  makes  great  changes 
in  the  water.  A  strong  wind  from  the  west  frequently 
blows  so  much  of  the  water  out  into  the  sound  that 
long  sections  of  the  bottom  become  visible ;  but  on 
this  occasion,  on  the  contrary,  the  easterly  wind  had 
blown  much  water  in,  and  materially  raised  the  level. 

Mose  was  equal  to  the  occasion,  however,  and, 
without  trying  to  pull  the  boat  ashore,  he  first  took 
Mary  on  his  broad  shoulders  and  waded  out  to  the 
boat  with  her,  returning  then  for  Mr.  Warren,  and 
last  for  Hunt,  so  that  all  the  party  were  put  aboard 


188 


PINE  ntDGE  PLANTATTOK 


with  dry  feet.  The  boat  was  then  headed  for  the 
point,  and  was  soon  sailing  up  the  Trent  River  and 
Brice  Creek,  and  landed  the  picknickers  safely  at 
home. 


CHAPTER   XYIII. 

FISHING   THROUGH    THE   ICE. 

It  was  evident  at  this  period  of  Hunt's  career  that 
his  mind  was  busy.  He  was  always  thinking  about 
something,  even  when  at  work,  and  one  day,  Avhen 
opportunity  oiFered,  he  went  over  to  the  city  without 
anything  for  sale,  and  returned  some  hours  later  with 
a  new  outfit  of  clothes,  not  expensive,  but  well-fitting 
and  much  more  presentable  than  those  he  had  been 
wearing.  He  also  brought  an  outfit  of  writing  mate- 
rials, and  from  this  time  on,  the  smaller  table  in  the 
sitting-room  was  known  as  Hunt's  desk,  the  paper 
and  pens  upon  it  being  in  frequent  use. 

This  change  in  his  clothing,  and  the  unintentional 
change  in  his  manner,  brought  about,  no  doubt,  by 
the  new  responsibilities  which  weighed  upon  him, 
made  a  great  outward  change  in  Hunt.  He  was  no 
longer  the  poor  boy  working  for  to-morrow  morning's 
breakfast,  but  a  well-dressed  young  man  of  affairs, 
with  a  family  to  provide  for,  and  every  prospect  of 
being  able  to  provide  for  it  amplyo 

The  change  was  too  great  to  escape  Mr.  Warren's 
watchful  eye,  and  he  found  an  opportunity  to  have  a 
few  words  alone  with  Hunt. 

"  You  are  fast  growing  up  to  the  occasion,  Hunt,'* 

189 


190  PINE  BIDGE  PLANTATION, 

he  told  him,  "  and  I  am  glad  to  see  it.  I  see  a  great 
change  in  you  since  you  made  your  latest  land  pur- 
chase. Of  course,  I  was  glad  before  to  see  you  take 
right  hold  of  any  work  that  would  pay  you  a  little 
money,  but  I  did  not  want  to  intrude  my  advice,  and 
it  is  all  the  better  that  this  change  in  you  should  have 
been  of  your  own  motion. 

"  There  is  always  a  little  money  to  be  earned  by 
daily  labor,  but  there  generally  comes  a  time  with  a 
young  man,  as  it  has  now  come  with  you,  when  he 
can  derive  more  profit  from  his  head  than  from  his 
hands.  A  cotton  plantation  of  one  hundred  and 
twelve  acres  is  enough  to  occupy  any  man's  head  and 
hands,  and  if  you  were  now  to  sell  your  time  to  any 
employer  you  would  be  robbing  your  own  plantation 
of  just  that  much  brain  and  muscle.  With  this  land 
venture  on  your  hands,  I  think  you  are  entirely  right 
to  give  your  whole  time  and  attention  to  your  own 
property. 

"  Besides,"  he  went  on,  "  it  is  an  important  matter 
to  keep  up  appearances,  especially  for  a  stranger  in 
any  community ;  people  can  only  judge  of  you  by 
what  they  see  of  you.  If  they  see  you  peddling 
fish  and  working  in  the  saw-mills  they  will  naturally 
think  of  you  as  a  fisherman  or  a  mill  hand ;  both  very 
honorable  occupations. 

"  But  on  the  scale  of  cotton  planting  at  which  you 
have  now  arrived,  it  is  better  that  you  should  be 
looked  upon  by  your  associates  as  a  young  cotton 
planter  and  the  owner  of  land,  for  such  little  things 


FISHING   THROUGH  THE  ICE,  191 

have  a  bearing  upon  a  man's  credit,  and  you  should 
always  keep  your  credit  high.  The  short  of  it  is, 
Hunt/'  he  concluded,  "that  you  are  no  longer  a 
farmer's  boy  nor  a  fisherman  nor  a  mill  hand,  but  a 
cotton  planter  with  excellent  prospects,  and  I  am 
delighted  to  see  the  change  in  you." 

"  I  hope  you  will  not  think  that  I  am  going  to  set 
up  for  a  fine  gentleman  and  stop  working  because  I 
have  bought  more  land,"  Hunt  answered,  with  a  smile. 
"  It  is  only  a  change  in  the  form  of  work,  for  the 
plantation  needs  my  whole  attention.  It  is  not  a 
small  matter  to  have  a  hundred  acres  to  pay  for,  and 
I  know  that  I  must  be  on  the  lookout.  I  realize  the 
importance  of  what  you  tell  me  about  keeping  my 
credit  up,  and  I  think  that  so  far  it  is  very  good." 

"  As  it  should  be ;  as  it  should  be,"  Mr.  Warren 
assented. 

Hunt  found  on  his  next  visit  to  the  city  that  he 
had  not  in  the  least  overrated  his  credit,  and  found  it 
even  better  than  he  thought — so  much  better  that  at 
least  one  of  the  little  furrows  of  care  disappeared  from 
his  face. 

He  thought  it  only  honorable  to  tell  Mr.  Latham 
that  he  had  largely  increased  his  holding  of  land,  and 
that  his  next  crop  of  cotton  would  probably  be  much 
larger  than  was  anticipated  when  the  eight-cent  bar- 
gain was  made. 

"Oh,  I  know  all  about  that,"  Mr.  Latham  told 
him,  "  and  now  that  you  are  such  a  planter  I  want 
your   steady  custom.     You   know   I   not   only  buy 


192  PINE  RIDGE  PLANTATION. 

cotton,  but  sell  fertilizer  to  grow  it  with,  too ;  how 
much  fertilizer  are  you  going  to  put  on  that  hundred 
acres  ?" 

"  Ten  tons,  sir,'^  Hunt  answered. 

"  That's  it,  exactly  !''  Mr.  Latham  exclaimed ;  "  ten 
tons." 

"  Now,  I  want  to  sell  you  that  ten  tons,''  he  con- 
tinued, "  because  that  ten  tons  a  year  will  be  going 
on  every  year  for  say  twenty  years,  which  means  two 
hundred  tons.  I  know  that  a  young  man  who  does 
business  in  the  way  that  you  do  intends  to  pay  for 
what  he  buys,  and,  as  I  want  your  steady  custom,  I 
want  you  to  run  a  little  bill  with  me.  Whenever  you 
are  ready  for  the  fertilizer,  send  me  the  order,  and  it 
shall  be  on  your  place  the  next  day ;  and  you  can  pay 
me  for  it  when  convenient." 

"  Thank  you,  Mr.  Latham,"  Hunt  answered ;  "  I 
don't  like  the  idea  of  running  bills,  but  in  this  case  it 
seems  necessary." 

"  Of  course  it  is,"  Mr.  Latham  replied ;  ''  nothing 
venture  nothing  have,  you  know." 

It  was  the  settlement  of  this  fertilizer  question  that 
eased  Hunt's  mind,  for  two  sets  of  figures  had  been 
constantly  dancing  before  his  eyes.  "  Ten  tons  of 
fertilizer,  at  twenty  dollars  a  ton,  equals  two  hundred 
dollars,"  was  one  set.  "At  least  one  mule,  with  a 
wagon  and  harness  and  plow,  equals  say  one  hundred 
and  fifty  dollars,  for  I  cannot,  with  any  decency,  ask 
old  Bob  to  do  all  the  work  alone  for  a  hundred  acres 
of  cotton.     He  is  a  patient  old  chappie,  but  he  must 


FISHING   THROUGH  THE  ICE.  193 

have  help  in  the  spring."  That  was  the  other  set,  for 
he  was  so  used  to  paying  cash  for  his  small  purchases 
that  he  did  not  stop  to  consider  that  credit  is  some- 
times as  good  as  cash,  and  that  his  credit  was  excel- 
lent. 

There  seemed  no  end  to  the  work  for  himself,  for 
now  he  had  much  more  wood,  and  when  the  timber 
was  all  cut  into  firewood,  not  only  on  the  seven-acre 
lot,  but  also  on  the  larger  purchase  from  Doctor  Prim- 
rose, he  made  a  contract  with  one  of  the  wood  dealers 
in  New  Bern,  and  in  a  few  weeks  delivered  to  him 
fifty  full  cords,  at  three  dollars  a  cord. 

"  A  cotton  planter  has  more  than  cotton  to  think 
of,  doesn't  he  ?"  Mr.  Warren  asked  him  one  day. 

"  Yes,  indeed,  sir,"  Hunt  answered ;  "  he  has  to 
give  some  attention  to  corn  and  pork,  and  part  of  my 
ambition  is  to  make  Pine  Ridge  Plantation  bacon  a 
favorite  in  the  market,  and  to  have  plenty  of  it  to 
sell." 

"  Corn  and  cotton  should  always  go  together,"  Mr. 
Warren  laughed,  ^^  with  pork  to  grease  the  way." 

The  smoke-house  fire  was  kept  constantly  burning, 
and  the  whole  family  were  agreed  that  even  in  that 
land  of  good  hams  and  bacon  no  better  could  be  found 
than  their  own. 

"  How  delightfully  warm  this  early  December  sun 
is  !"  Mr.  Warren  exclaimed,  one  day,  as  he  came  in 
from  the  stable.  "  This  is  more  like  September  at 
home,  and  I  don't  wonder  that  you  like  the  sunny 
South.     How  would  you  and  Mary  like  to  take  me 

13 


194  PINE  RIDGE  PLANTATION. 

out  for  a  little  fishing-trip  to-morrow  ?  We  might  as 
well  have  some  more  of  those  fine  fresh  fish  for  the 
table,  and  I  want  to  sun  myself  a  little.'^ 

This  was  readily  agreed  to ;  but  Hunt  laughed 
quietly  to  himself  as  he  and  Scotty  carried  several 
extra  armfuls  of  wood  into  the  rooms.  This  was  all 
needed  that  night,  for  the  wind  turned  to  the  North, 
and  nothing  short  of  roaring  fires  sufficed  to  keep 
them  warm. 

Jim  Crow  was  deputed  to  visit  each  fireplace  every 
half-hour  during  the  night  to  pile  on  more  wood,  and 
he  did  his  work  well  until  after  the  first  trip,  when  he 
was  found  snoring  in  front  of  the  kitchen  fire,  which, 
like  all  the  others,  had  gone  dead  out. 

"  Well,  I  thought  a  North  Carolina  darkey  would, 
at  least,  keep  himself  warm  !"  Mary  exclaimed,  when, 
awakened  by  the  cold,  she  stepped  into  the  kitchen. 

"  In  most  cases  he  will,"  Hunt  retorted ;  "  but  when 
it  is  a  choice  between  warmth  and  sleep  he  will  take 
the  sleep,  as  you  see.  Anyhow,"  he  added,  laughing, 
"you  always  know  where  to  find  a  Brice  Creek 
darkey  when  he  is  asleep ;  but  you  never  know  when 
he  is  awake." 

Hunt  went  himself  into  Mr.  Warren's  room  and 
started  a  new  fire,  and  he  and  Scotty  kept  the  others 
going,  Hunt  believing,  not  without  reason,  that  the 
labor  of  keeping  fires  going  was  less  than  the  mental 
strain  of  keeping  an  untamed  and  untrained  darkey 
up  to  his  work. 

When   breakfast   was   finished   next   morning,  the 


FISHING   THROUGH  THE  ICE,  19o 

three  set  out  for  their  fishing,  but  Hunt,  it  was  noticed, 
carried  an  ax  over  his  shoulder  instead  of  a  pole. 

"  You  don't  usually  fish  with  an  ax,  do  you,  Hunt  ?" 
Mr.  Warren  asked. 

"  Look  at  the  creek,''  Hunt  replied,  for  by  this 
time  they  had  reached  the  edge  of  the  bluff,  and  he 
pointed  toward  the  boat. 

"  In  the  sunny  South  it  is  sometimes  well  to  take 
an  ax  along  to  break  the  ice,"  he  laughed. 

Then  the  others  saw  that  the  creek  was  fairly  frozen 
over,  the  ice  in  the  middle  being  a  mere  skimming  not 
much  thicker  than  a  pane  of  glass,  but  much  thicker 
along  the  shore ;  and  when  Hunt  ran  to  the  boat  with 
his  ax  he  had  to  break  the  ice  with  forcible  blows  be- 
fore the  boat  could  be  moved. 

Mr.  Warren  sunned  himself  by  buttoning  up  his 
overcoat  tight  and  tying  a  handkerchief  around  his 
neck,  and  with  numbed  fingers  they  were  all  satisfied 
when  one  large  Welshman  was  caught  for  dinner. 

By  three  o'clock  that  afternoon,  however,  the  air 
was  warm,  and  the  ice  had  all  disappeared. 


CHAPTER  XIX. 

TRIALS  OF  A   "GENTLEMAN    SPORTSMAN." 

A  SHORT  time  after  the  wintry  fishing,  Rover  and 
Buster,  who  had  been  let  out  one  morning,  as  usual, 
both  made  a  great  outcry,  denoting  the  presence  of  a 
stranger  on  the  premises.  When  Hunt  opened  the 
door  to  call  them  off  he  saw  on  the  bluff  a  man,  who 
might,  judging  from  his  burdens,  have  been  a  peddler 
of  clothes,  hardware,  ammunition,  eatables,  and  many 
other  things,  for  he  carried  a  dress-suit  case,  a  large 
box  of  cartridges,  and  a  lunch  basket ;  but  the  gun 
over  his  shoulder  and  the  two  dogs  that  frisked  about 
his  feet  showed  him  to  belong  to  the  anomalous  class 
known  as  "gentlemen  sportsmen."  When  Hunt  went 
out  and  approached  him  he  let  the  gun  down  with  a 
thud,  as  if  it  weighed  something  like  a  quarter  of  a 
ton,  and  leaned  wearily  upon  it. 

"  That's  the  heaviest  gun  I  ever  did  see,"  he  said, 
when  Hunt  drew  nearer. 

"  It  is  a  dreadful  weight,  that's  a  fact,"  Hunt  re- 
plied, picking  the  gun  up  to  "  heft"  it.  "  You  must  get 
good  big  wages  to  carry  such  a  weight  as  that." 

"  ^  Wages ' !"  the  man  exclaimed,  "  I  do  it  for  sport, 
my  friend.  I  live  up  in  Maine,  and  I  have  come  here 
to  enjoy  a  little  of  your  fine  sport  on  the  sounds. 

196 


TRIALS  OF  A  ''GENTLEMAN  SPORTSMAN^     197 

Capital  bird-shooting,  I  understand,  you  have  about 
here  in  winter,"  he  continued.  "  By  the  way,  if  you 
have  no  objections,  I  should  like  to  shoot  over  your 
land,''  he  went  on. 

"  I  don't  think  you  will  find  anything  here,"  Hunt 
replied  ;  "  but  I  don't  care  how  much  you  shoot  over 
my  land,  so  long  as  you  don't  shoot  my  ox." 

"  Oh,  I  don't  take  big  game !"  the  man  laughed. 
"  I  am  after  quails,  you  know.  I  see  a  great  many 
wild  ducks  all  around,  but  I  don't  care  for  anything 
but  quails.  I  see  you  have  a  good  boat  here,"  he 
went  on,  "  and  I  shall  want  to  hire  the  use  of  a  boat 
and  the  services  of  a  guide.  What  would  you  charge 
me  by  the  day  for  the  boat  and  your  own  services  ?" 

"  To  tote  these  traps  ?"  Hunt  asked.  "  I  should 
want  ten  dollars  a  day,  anyhow,  to  lug  the  gun  and 
this  stuff,  though  I  believe  the  usual  price  is  two 
dollars  a  day  for  boat  and  guide.  I  haven't  much 
time  for  such  work,  but  either  the  young  man  who 
lives  with  me  or  I  could  take  you  out  nearly  any 
day." 

"  Well,  I  haven't  much  time  to  lose,"  the  stranger 
answered.  "  You  see  it  is  getting  well  into  the  quail 
season,  and  there  are  about  as  many  gentlemen  sports- 
men in  the  fields  and  woods  as  there  are  quails.  I 
wish  my  other  dogs  would  hurry  and  get  here,"  he 
continued.  "  I  only  have  these  two  now,  and  one 
other  over  at  the  Chattawka  House,  in  New  Bern ; 
but  the  other  two  are  on  their  way  down  by  rail,  in  a 
crate.     Now,  if  you  are  going  to  be  my  guide  and 


198  PINE  RIDGE  PLANTATION. 

take  me  out  in  your  boat,  we  will  call  it  a  bargain, 
and  I  will  be  over  here  early  to-morrow  morning ; 
but  mind,  you  must  take  me  to  good  places  if  you  go 
out  with  me,  for  I  have  promised  a  dozen  fat  quail  to 
my  friend  Hood,  in  Bangor,  another  dozen  to  my 
wife's  aunt,  who  rather  sneers  at  my  going  shooting ; 
and  several  more  dozen  to  other  people,  so  I've  got 
to  have  them,  you  know,  and  no  mistake,  and  the  only 
thing  I've  got  so  far  is  a  rabbit,  which  the  dogs  stole 
over  in  New  Bern." 

"Do  you  get  good  prices  for  quail,  sir?"  Hunt 
asked. 

"  ^  Prices ' !"  the  man  cried.  "  Why,  my  friend,  you 
don't  seem  to  understand  that  I'm  a  gentleman  sports- 
man. I  am  no  marketman  to  sell  them,  but  give 
them  to  my  friends." 

"You  give  them  away,  sir?"  Hunt  asked  again. 
"  You  pay  your  own  expenses  all  the  way  down  here 
from  Maine,  and  then,  after  all  your  trouble,  you  give 
the  birds  away  ?  It  doesn't  seem  to  me  that  that  can 
be  a  profitable  occupation  for  a  steady  job." 

"  Ah,  but  the  sport  !"  the  visitor  almost  shouted. 
Think  of  the  sport  of  it,  my  young  friend.  There's 
nothing  in  the  world  like  it.  Say,"  he  asked,  sud- 
denly changing  the  direction  of  his  remarks,  "  would 
a  dollar  be  any  object  to  you  to  help  me  carry  this 
stuff  down  to  the  boat  and  then  sail  me  over  to  town  ? 
I've  carried  these  things  six  or  eight  miles  to-day,  and 
I  declare  I  am  just  about  done  up  ;  but  it's  all  in  the 
interest  of  true  sport,  my  friend." 


TRIALS  OF  A  "  GENTLEMAN  SPORTSMAN:'     199 

"  And  what  did  you  get,  sir  ?"  Hunt  asked,  as  he 
began  to  carry  the  things  down. 

"  Not  a  thing,"  the  stranger  replied,  "  because  luck 
has  been  against  me  to-day,  but  I  got  two  splendid 
shots,  and  I  should  have  got  at  least  one  of  the  birds 
if  he  hadn't  hidden  behind  the  river  bank;  you 
know  what  a  trick  they  have  of  getting  behind  a  bank 
just  at  the  critical  moment.  One  of  those  birds  I 
followed  over  four  miles,  and  twice,  I  give  you  my 
word,  I  almost  got  within  range.  My  name  is 
Peters,"  the  passenger  concluded,  when  they  landed 
at  the  market  wharf  in  New  Bern  ;  for  Hunt,  partly 
for  profit  and  partly  from  pure  good  nature,  sailed 
him  over. 

^'  Peters,  remember,"  he  called  back  as  he  left  the 
boat,  whistling  for  his  dogs,  "  and  I  will  be  over  early 
to-morrow  morning." 

"  I  Avonder  why  his  wife's  aunt  sneers  at  his  going 
shooting  ?"  Hunt  said  to  himself  with  a  quiet  laugh. 
"  I  should  think  she  would  recognize  the  need  of 
gentlemen  sportsmen." 

^^  Say,  boss !"  he  was  hailed  by  a  colored  man  on 
the  wharf,  who  had  overheard  the  last  few  words, 
"  you  aint  agwine  take  dat  fellah  out  shootin',  is  yer  ? 
kase  you  better  not,  I  ken  tell  yer ;  I  had  him  out  yis- 
tidday,  an'  I  wouldn'  do  anodder  stunt  wid  sech  a 
yearthquake  on  legs,  not  for  nawthin'.  You  don'  heerd 
o'  de  sebben-league  boots,  ain't  yer  ?  He  wear  um,  dat 
boss  Peters  do ;  he  tramp  nine  mile  yistidday  and 
den  miss  fire,  an'  most  of  de  white   gemmans    dey 


200  PINE  RIDGE  PLANTATION, 

drives  him  off  dey  places,  kase  dey  say  he  scare  de 
cattle/' 

When  the  "  gentleman  sportsman  "  appeared  at  the 
plantation  early  next  morning,  according  to  promise, 
Hunt  could  not  send  little  Jim  Crow  with  him,  as  he 
had  determined  to  do,  because  the  young  darkey  was 
entirely  unable  to  carry  the  gun  and  other  heavy 
materials  necessary  for  shooting  quails.  Scotty  was 
sent  with  Mr.  Peters,  however ;  and  when  he  picked 
up  the  gun,  the  dress-suit  case,  the  lunch  basket,  the 
cartridge  box,  and  the  bag  containing  some  extra 
shooting-clothes,  he  declared,  with  some  reason,  that 
carrying  them  was  much  harder  than  carrying  wood. 

Mr.  Peters  had  only  three  dogs  with  him  when  he 
reached  the  house,  but  the  other  two  soon  came 
bounding  up  ;  and,  when  the  five  setters  were  loaded 
in  the  boat,  none  too  much  room  was  left  for  the 
sportsman  and  his  guide. 

When  they  set  out,  Mr.  Peters  insisted  upon  going 
up  the  Trent  River,  the  shooting  being  better,  as  he 
said,  in  that  direction,  and  Scotty  willingly  sailed  the 
boat  up  the  Trent.  Before  they  had  gone  far,  the  sight 
of  a  flock  of  quails,  about  half  a  mile  inland,  decoyed 
the  sportsman  ashore  with  the  gun  and  all  the  dogs,  but 
he  left  the  other  baggage  behind.  When  Mr.  Peters 
was  far  enough  inland  to  put  the  quails  between  him 
and  the  river  he  followed  them  up,  till,  with  the  in- 
stinct of  their  kind,  they  flew  down  behind  the  bank, 
and  so  safely  skirted  the  shore.  The  sportsman  soon 
got  a  glimpse  of  one  of  the  feathered  beauties  passing 


TRIALS  OF  A   "  GENTLEMAN  SPORTSMAN."     201 

like  a  flash  between  himself  and  the  boat,  and,  in- 
stantly bringing  the  gun  to  his  shoulder,  he  fired  on 
general  principles,  and  so  much  at  random  that  Scotty 
felt  sure  that  his  time  had  come. 

^'  Lookout  where  you're  shooting !"  he  shouted, 
and  the  next  moment  a  scattering  charge  of  bird  shot 
marred  the  starboard  bow  of  the  Maria  Louise. 

^^ Hadn't  you  better  come  aboard  again?"  Scotty 
asked ;  "  I'm  afraid  you'll  get  bigger  game  than 
you  are  after  if  you  keep  shooting  toward  the  boat ;" 
and  when  he  drew  in  to  the  shore  Mr.  Peters  clambered 
aboard.  They  then  proceeded  up  the  river,  leaving 
the  dogs  to  follow  on  the  bank ;  but  the  animals  had 
no  desire  to  run  when  they  might  ride,  and  in  a  short 
time  all  five  plunged  into  the  water  and  swam  to  the 
boat,  where,  after  climbing  in,  they  shook  themselves 
thoroughly,  greatly  to  the  damage  of  the  baggage. 

They  were  up  almost  as  far  as  the  fishermen's 
"  hotel "  when  one  bird  flew  along  the  bank,  so  much 
to  the  excitement  of  Mr.  Peters  that  he  nearly  cap- 
sized the  boat  in  his  frantic  efforts  to  reach  the  gun. 
Scotty  steadied  her  as  well  as  he  could,  and  handed 
the  gun  to  the  sportsman,  who  sprang  to  his  feet  and 
brought  the  gun  up  to  his  shoulder,  resting,  at  the 
same  time,  one  foot  upon  the  starboard  rail. 

The  appearance  of  another  bird  skirting  the  bank 
caused  him  to  lean  well  forward  while  aiming.  This 
began  to  look  like  real  work  to  the  five  dogs,  and 
when  the  sportsman  cocked  his  gun  they  made  a 
wild  rush  for  the  side  of  the  boat  nearest  the  birds. 


202  PINE  RIDGE  PLANTATION. 

Unfortunately,  Mr.  Peters  was  at  the  moment  leaning 
far  out  over  that  side,  and  the  weight  of  the  man  and 
his  gun  and  the  impetus  of  the  dogs  were  more  than 
the  Maria  Louise  could  stand,  and  she  gave  such  a 
lurch  to  starboard  that  Mr.  Peters  went  overboard, 
gun  and  all. 

It  was  necessary  now  to  find  accommodations  in 
the  "  hotel  "  to  dry  his  dripping  clothes,  and  while  all 
that  could  well  be  dispensed  with  hung  in  the  sun  to 
dry,  Scotty  patiently  wiped  the  gun  and  oiled  it,  for 
Mr.  Peters  was  affected  almost  to  tears  by  the  mishap 
to  his  favorite. 

When  the  gun  was  oiled  and  ready  for  use  again, 
Mr.  Peters  set  out  with  the  dogs  across  country, 
leaving  behind  him  several  articles  of  apparel  that  in 
polite  society  are  considered  strictly  necessary. 

For  the  next  hour  the  "  guide ''  sat  under  the  trees, 
waiting  for  the  clothes  to  dry,  and  greatly  enjoying 
the  spectacle  of  a  half-clad  gentleman  sportsman, 
followed  by  five  dogs,  breaking  his  way  through 
bushes  and  jungles.  This  sport  might  have  con- 
tinued until  dark  had  not  the  owner  of  the  land  un- 
expectedly appeared  with  a  gun  of  his  own,  and  made 
such  forcible  remarks  that  Mr.  Peters  thought  best  to 
retire. 

At  length  the  dogs  were  coaxed  back  into  the  boat, 
when  the  shaking  process  was  repeated  with  such 
effect  that,  when  the  lunch  basket  was  opened,  the 
lunch  was  found  to  be  ruined,  and  the  party  returned 
dinnerless  to  the  plantation.     When  they  climbed  the 


TUTALS  OF  A  ''GENTLEMAN  SPORTSMAN:'     203 

bluff,  Mr.  Peters  carried  the  impedimenta,  as  he  in- 
tended to  walk  back  to  the  city,  but  he  stopped  for  a 
moment  at  the  house,  his  face  all  aglow  with  the 
pleasure  of  the  chase. 

"  Well,  we've  had  a  good  day's  sport,"  he  said, 
when  Hunt  opened  the  door  for  him,  and,  in  answer 
to  the  young  planter's  look  of  inquiry,  he  began  to 
unload  himself.  Having  deposited  upon  the  floor  his 
dress-suit  case,  cartridge  box,  bag  of  clothes,  and  gun, 
he  came,  at  length,  to  an  extra  shooting-jacket  over 
his  arm,  in  which  were  innumerable  little  pockets 
for  cartridges. 

"  But  where  are  the  birds  ?"  Hunt  asked. 

"  Oh,  we  didn't  get  any !"  Mr.  Peters  replied, 
beginning  to  load  himself  up  again,  "  but  we  had  a 
fine  day's  sport,  all  the  same.  I  had  several  fine 
shots,  but  the  birds  were  out  of  range." 

So  saying,  he  started  off  for  the  city,  followed  by 
the  five  dogs,  three  of  which  had  meanwhile  been 
soundly  whipped  by  Rover  and  Buster. 

"  Well,  I've  long  wanted  to  see  one  of  those  gentle- 
men sportsmen,"  Hunt  said  to  Scotty  and  Mary, 
fairly  shaking  with  suppressed  laughter,  "  but  I  haven't 
seen  one  yet  who  shoots  birds." 

''  The  birds  are  all  right  when  he's  around,"  Scotty 
replied,  "  but  I  was  rather  afraid  he'd  fetch  one  of 
Mr.  Vincent's  cows." 


CHAPTER   XX. 

A   MULE    AND   A    BLIZZARD. 

Not  long  after  Scotty's  hunting-trip,  Hunt  went 
over  to  New  Bern  on  business,  and  when  he  returned 
he  drove  over  with  a  sleek  bay  mule,  harnessed  with 
a  good  harness  to  a  painted  farm  wagon,  on  the  bottom 
of  which  lay  a  plow. 

"  I  have  bought  them,"  he  told  Mary.  "  You  may 
think  this  a  poor  time  of  year  to  buy  more  stock,  but 
it  is  not  so  poor,  because  animals  can  be  bought 
cheaper  now  when  they  must  be  fed  than  later  in  the 
season,  when  they  can  graze.  Several  of  the  gentle- 
men I  consulted  with  tell  me  that  in  the  spring  this 
mule  will  easily  be  worth  one  hundred  dollars,  for  he 
is  only  seven  years  old,  and  perfectly  sound ;  but  to- 
day I  bought  the  mule,  wagon,  harness,  and  plow  for 
sixty-five  dollars.  His  name  is  Dick,  and  I  suppose 
you  will  soon  be  making  a  pet  of  him,  as  you  do  of 
Fannie ;  but  remember,  a  mule  is  not  a  pony,  and 
don't  take  any  liberties  with  his  hind  feet." 

"  I  have  made  some  more  work  for  us,  Scotty,"  he 
went  on,  as  Scotty  now  came  up.  "  I  have  been  buy- 
ing a  mule,  and  we  will  have  to  build  a  stable  for 
him." 

"  I  should  think  you  would  need  a  pair  of  mules 
for  so  much  land,"  Scotty  answered. 

204 


A  MULE  AND  A  BLIZZARD.  205 

"Bob  and  the  mule  can  do  our  work/'  Hunt  as- 
serted, turning  the  mule  over  to  Scotty. 

"  I  had  that  same  idea/'  he  explained  to  Mary, 
"  but  after  thinking  it  over  carefully  I  concluded  to  buy 
only  one  mule  for  the  present,  because  by  and  by,  if 
all  goes  well  with  us,  we  shall  want  something  more 
than  Fannie  to  carry  us  over  to  church  and  about  the 
country  to  see  the  other  plantations,  and,  as  I  should 
not  care  to  take  you  driving  with  a  pair  of  mules,  I 
have,  by  buying  a  single  mule,  left  the  way  open  for 
us  to  get  a  pair  of  horses  after  a  while,  if  we  con- 
tinue to  prosper." 

"  I  don't  want  anything  better  than  Fannie,"  Mary 
replied  ;  "  but  if  you  need  a  pair  of  horses  for  the 
work  that  is  another  matter." 

"  Don't  let  the  little  darkey  fool  around  the  mule," 
Hunt  laughed,  "  or  you  will  soon  have  no  one  to  wash 
your  dishes ;  by  the  way,  I  have  brought  the  little 
fellow  a  coat  and  a  pair  of  shoes,  for  his  clothes  are  not 
suitable  for  this  winter  weather." 

AVhen  they  went  into  the  kitchen  they  found  Jim 
Crow  picking  up  the  pieces  of  a  platter  that  he  had 
just  dropped  and  broken,  the  latest  in  a  long  series ; 
but  Hunt  handed  the  clothes  to  him. 

"  Wat  you  gwine  pay  me  fer  wukkin  fer  yo',  boss?" 
he  asked,  in  lieu  of  thanks. 

"  Well,  my  sister  thinks  that  maybe  she  can  teach 
you  something  after  a  while,  so  we  will  give  you  your 
board  and  four  dollars  a  month,"  Hunt  replied. 

"  I  don'  want  no  boards,  an'  I  ain'  gwine  to  wuk 


206  PINE  RIDGE  PLANTATION. 

fer  nobody  fo^  four  dollars  a  mont' !"  little  Jim 
replied,  pouting,  but  picking  up  the  shoes  and 
throwing  the  new  coat  over  his  arm.  "  I'se  gwine 
home,  I  is,''  and  off  he  went,  slamming  the  door  after 
him  to  show  his  absolute  independence. 

"  I  hope  he  has  a  good  home  to  go  to,"  Mary  ex- 
claimed, with  a  laugh. 

^^  Not  much  to  boast  of,  if  his  mother  tells  the 
truth,"  Hunt  answered,  "  for  she  stopped  me  as  I  was 
coming  home,  and  said  she  Avas  ^  clean  done  a' most 
starved,  boss,'  and  I  gave  her  a  quarter ;  but  they  are 
an  independent  lot,  for  at  the  worst  they  can  catch 
fish." 

"  My,  what  a  relief  to  be  alone  !"  Mary  sighed. 
"  That  boy  has  been  the  plague  of  my  life  ever  since 
he  came." 

The  closing  days  of  February  had  now  arrived,  and, 
as  plowing-time  had  almost  come.  Hunt  took  Mr. 
Warren  out  over  the  land,  after  the  mule's  stable 
was  built,  and  the  latter  was  delighted  at  the  early 
signs  of  budding  vegetation. 

"  This  is  a  great  climate  you  have  come  into,  Hunt," 
he  declared.  ^^  To  be  sure,  we  have  had  a  few  chilly 
days,  and  just  a  little  skim  of  ice,  but,  after  all,  the 
middle  of  winter  is  no  worse  than  our  spring  weather 
at  home  ;  just  look  at  that  maple  over  there.  Why, 
those  buds  are  almost  ready  to  burst  out  into  leaves. 
I  have  long  wanted  to  see  something  of  the  South, 
and  I  tell  you  I  enjoy  it,  my  boy." 

Hunt  looked  doubtfully  at  the  ripples  upon  the 


A  MULE  AND  A  BLIZZARD.  207 

water,  which  denoted  a  northwest  wind,  but  he  made 
no  reply.  Later  in  the  day,  however,  he  called  Scotty 
away  from  the  chopping  to  carry  an  extra  supply  to 
all  the  fireplaces,  and  that  evening,  the  temperature 
having  fallen  about  to  freezing,  the  fires  were  very 
cheerful  and  agreeable.  They  all  sat  that  evening  in 
the  sitting-room,  passing  the  time  pleasantly  not  only 
with  conversation,  but  also  with  reading  new  books 
and  magazines,  a  fresh  supply  of  which  Hunt  had 
brought  home  after  his  last  visit  to  the  city. 

^'  This  is  really  a  comforting  reminder  of  old  times, 
Mary,  this  blazing  fire,"  Mr.  Warren  said ;  "  the 
only  possible  fault  that  I  can  find  with  the  South  is 
that  there  are  hardly  enough  cold  days  to  make  a 
good  fire  enjoyable." 

"  I  think  we  shall  be  able  to  remedy  that  fault  in 
North  Carolina,"  said  Mary,  "  before  the  winter  is 
over.  It  begins  to  look  a  little  like  budding  spring 
outside,  but  I  know  that  we  have  to  expect  occasional 
cold  weather  until  the  first  of  April." 

"  Oh,  I  am  not  so  sure  of  that,  from  what  I  see," 
Mr.  Warren  replied  ;  "  there  are  all  the  signs  of  com- 
ing spring.  I  think.  Hunt,  that  you  will  soon  have 
to  be  getting  your  ground  ready  for  the  early  vege- 
tables, for  this  looks  to  me  very  much  like  plo wing- 
weather." 

"  It  looks  to  me,  sir,"  Hunt  replied,  "so  much  like 
snowing-weather  that  I  am  going  to  take  Scotty  out 
with  me  in  a  few  minutes  to  see  that  the  animals  and 
poultry  are  all  housed." 


208  PINE  RIDGE  PLANTATION. 

"  Oh,  no  clanger  of  snow  clown  here  !"  Mr.  Warren 
laughed.  "  We'll  not  have  snow  and  new  buds  upon 
the  maple  trees  at  the  same  time." 

The  family  retired  early,  as  they  always  did,  and 
in  the  morning  Mary  called  to  Hunt,  through  the 
open  doorway, 

"  Hunt,  I  can't  see  through  my  windows,  and  it 
looks  to  me  as  if  there  had  been  a  snow-storm,  and 
I  can  hear  something  beating  against  the  glass,  snow 
or  rain  or  hail  or  something." 

"  The  sky  looked  like  snow  last  evening,"  Hunt 
answered,  "but  I  guess  there  is  no  danger  of  our 
having  any  sleighing."  But  he  changed  his  mind 
about  that  a  few  minutes  later,  when,  having  sprung 
up  and  lighted  the  kitchen  fire,  he  opened  the  door 
and  saw  that  the  snow  was  already  an  inch  deep,  and 
still  falling  as  rapidly  as  he  had  ever  seen  it  fall  in 
the  North,  and  drifting  under  a  strong  northwest 
wind. 

"  We  may  be  able  yet  to  give  Mr.  Warren  a  sleigh 
ride  !"  he  exclaimed,  "  for  this  looks  to  me  like  a  real 
snow-storm  coming." 

"  ^  Snow-storm ' !"  Mary  exclaimed  ;  "  it  is  a  real 
blizzard.  Just  hear  the  wind  howl  and  see  how  the 
snow  drifts.  Wouldn't  it  be  dreadful  if  we  were  to 
have  a  deep  snow,  with  so  many  of  these  colored 
people  in  rags  and  some  of  them  almost  barefoot? 
They  all  go  home  from  their  Avork  at  night,  even  the 
servants  in  private  houses,  and  they  will  have  a  hard 
time  getting  back  this  morning.     I  pity  the  poor  souls 


A  MULE  AND  A  BLIZZARD.  209 

who  live  in  James  City,  and  work  over  in  New  Bern, 
with  that  long  bridge  to  cross  in  this  blizzard." 

By  the  time  the  breakfast  was  ready  it  was  plain 
that  Mary  was  not  far  wrong  in  calling  the  storm  a 
blizzard,  for  the  snow  fell  faster  than  ever,  and  the 
wind  howled  louder. 

"  Why,  this  is  a  rare  experience  for  the  sunny 
South  !''  Mr.  Warren  declared,  when  he  appeared  for 
breakfast. 

"  It  is  not  unusual  so  far  for  North  Carolina,"  Hunt 
replied,  "  for  we  often  have  little  sprinkles  of  snow 
here,  but  this  looks  to  me  as  if  it  intended  to  continue 
and  give  us  a  real  snow-storm." 

By  dinner-time,  the  storm  having  continued  un- 
abated, the  snow  was  so  deep  that  paths  had  to  be 
shovelled  before  Mary  could  go  out  to  feed  the  poultry, 
and  then  the  wind  almost  took  her  off  her  feet. 

As  they  were  about  to  sit  down  to  dinner  they  heard 
a  shout  outside,  but  no  barking  this  time  from  the 
dogs  in  the  yard,  for  the  dogs  were  glad  enough  to 
remain  in  the  house. 

When  Hunt  ran  to  the  door  he  could  hardly  re- 
strain his  laughter,  for  the  most  abject  and  woebegone 
colored  man  in  the  world  stood  without,  half-hidden 
by  snow  and  with  a  basket  on  his  arm,  which  was 
half-full  of  snow. 

"  Come  and  see  this  smoked  ghost  before  I  warm  it 
up !"  Hunt  called  to  the  others,  "  for  it's  speech  is 
frozen  up  solid."  Out  of  pity  he  lost  no  time  in 
taking  the  colored  man  in  by  the  kitchen  fire,  and  there, 

14 


210  PINE  RIDGE  PLANTATION. 

when  he  regained  the  power  to  talk,  he  made  known 
that  he  was  a  messenger  sent  with  a  note  from  Mr. 
Vincent,  the  latter  having  been  caught  by  the  blizzard 
without  sufficient  provisions  in  the  house. 

"  Why,  certainly,  we  will  gladly  supply  our  neigh- 
bor," Hunt  told  him ;  and  when  he  called  Mary  it 
was  ostensibly  to  put  a  strip  of  bacon  and  some  eggs 
and  flour  into  the  basket  for  Mr.  Vincent,  but  really 
to  give  her  an  opportunity  to  see  the  remarkable  mes- 
senger. 

The  man  had  a  small  shawl  wrapped  over  head  and 
ears  and  well  tied  around  his  neck ;  an  old  blanket 
thrown  over  his  shoulders  was  secured  about  his  waist 
with  a  rope,  and  his  feet  were  somewhat  protected  by 
feed  bags  drawn  over  them,  and  secured  around  his 
legs  with  more  rope.  Having  no  gloves  to  protect 
his  hands,  he  had  utilized  an  old  pair  of  blue  stock- 
ings for  the  purpose ;  his  shaggy  beard  had  become 
almost  a  solid  icicle,  and  this,  melting  and  dripping 
over  his  skin,  evidently  caused  him  much  discomfort. 
After  his  departure  with  the  filled  basket  the  messenger 
furnished  food  for  conversation  during  the  dinner,  and 
his  appearance  gave  Hunt  a  new  idea,  for  the  snow 
was  by  that  time  six  or  seven  inches  deep,  and  he  an- 
nounced his  intention  to  ride  over  to  New  Bern,  where 
he  had  business,  and  where  he  desired  to  see  what 
effect  so  deep  a  snow  would  have  upon  the  people  in 
general  and  upon  the  colored  people  in  particular.  It 
was  a  stormy  ride  in  prospect,  but  he  thought  the  game 
worth  the  candle,  and  set  out  on  muleback,  the  mule 


A  MULE  AND  A  BLIZZARD.  211 

wading  with  great  reluctance  through  the  unaccus- 
tomed snow. 

"  Ah,  this  warms  one's  heart !"  Mr.  Warren  ex- 
claimed, before  Hunt  started,  and  he  saw  the  depth 
of  the  snow.  "  I  did  not  know  that  I  loved  my  own 
region  and  its  customs  so  well.  What  wouldn't  I 
give  to  hear  the  merry  jingle  of  sleigh  bells  ?" 

"  It  may  be  warming  to  the  heart !"  Hunt  called 
back,  "  but  it  is  not  at  all  warming  to  the  ears  and 
fingers."  In  a  moment  almost  he  was  lost  to  sight, 
for  the  air  was  full  of  falling  and  drifting  snow. 
Still  the  storm  continued,  and,  after  more  than  two 
hours  had  passed,  they  began  to  feel  some  anxiety 
about  him  ;  but  before  they  could  worry  long  they 
heard  the  cheerful  sound  of  sleigh  bells  outside,  and 
there  was  Hunt,  with  the  mule  harnessed  to  a  sleigh 
that  was  half-hidden  in  blankets ;  and,  best  of  all,  a 
string  of  bells  around  the  mule  to  jingle  at  every 
movement.  Scotty  went  out  to  hold  the  mule,  and 
Hunt  came  in. 

"  This  is  something  grand !"  he  exclaimed,  shaking 
the  snow  from  hat  and  coat,  and  warming  his  hands 
by  the  fire.  "  The  resources  of  North  Carolina  are 
boundless,  and  we  are  equal  even  to  a  sleigh  ride. 
When  I  found  there  was  a  sleigh  in  Scott's  livery 
stable,  the  only  one  in  the  city,  I  think,  I  was  bound 
to  have  it  to  give  you  both  a  sleigh  ride,  and  the 
sound  of  the  dear  old  bells ;  but  I  tell  you  I  had  a 
time  to  get  it.^  It  was  only  on  account  of  the  raging 
storm  and  by  promising  faithfully  to  return  it  this 


212  PINE  RIDGE  PLANTATION. 

evening  that  I  could  get  it  at  all,  for  as  soon  as  the 
storm  is  over  every  man,  woman,  and  child  in  the  city 
will  scramble  for  it,  as  it  is  the  only  one/^ 

"  Do  you  know  how  deep  the  snow  is  ?"  he  sud- 
denly asked.  '^  Ten  inches  on  the  level,  and  much 
deeper  in  the  drifts.  If  you  don't  mind  braving  the 
storm  in  the  sleigh,  under  all  those  blankets,  you  will 
find  it  worth  your  while  to  let  me  drive  you  over  to 
New  Bern.  Such  sights  you  never  saw ;  some  home- 
made sleighs  are  out  already,  made  of  dry  goods  boxes, 
old  boards,  and  buggy  tops,  put  on  home-made  run- 
ners ;  but  for  real  misery  and  woe,  the  Trent  River 
bridge  is  the  place.  In  town  the  boys  are  snow-balling 
at  a  great  rate,  and  you  must  be  prepared  to  catch  it, 
as  everyone  does.'' 

Mary  and  Mr.  Warren  agreed  that  nothing  could 
be  more  novel  or  more  enjoyable  than  a  sleigh  ride 
in  North  Carolina ;  and,  wrapping  themselves  up  well, 
they  climbed  into  the  sleigh  and  set  off,  with  Hunt 
for  driver,  leaving  Scotty  at  home  to  take  care  of  the 
stock  and  premises. 

When  they  reached  James  City,  although  the  snow 
and  wind  had  now  somewhat  abated,  they  were  appar- 
ently in  a  deserted  village,  for  hardly  a  soul  was  to  be 
seen  in  the  streets,  and  every  little  shanty  was  shut  up 
tight. 

"  But  I  do  not  see  smoke  coming  from  the  stick 
chimneys,  so  some  of  the  people  must  be  doing  with- 
out fires,"  Mr.  Warren  said. 

"  That  is  simple  enough,"  Hunt  answered ;  "  it  is 


A  MULE  AND  A  nLIZZARL,  213 

because  they  have  no  wood.  They  do  not  expect 
such  emergencies  as  this,  and,  if  they  did,  most  of 
them  have  no  money  to  buy  wood." 

"  The  white  people  ought  to  establish  a  relief  station 
to  provide  food  and  fuel  for  the  unemployed,''  Mr. 
Warren  declared. 

^'  Ah,  if  they  did  that,  sir,''  Hunt  answered,  "every 
darkey  with  a  job  would  immediately  give  it  up,  so 
as  to  get  food  and  fuel  for  nothing.  That  has  been 
tried  before,"  he  added,  "  but  always  with  the  same 
result.  They  will  hardly  have  a  chance  to  get  really 
hungry  before  the  sun  takes  this  snow  away." 

When  they  reached  the  Trent  River  bridge  they 
saw  many  strange-looking  people  plodding  across  to 
their  little  homes.  Women  had  their  tattered  skirts 
tied  down  with  cords ;  and  men  and  women  alike  had 
their  feet  tied  up  in  old  pieces  of  blanket,  old  strips 
of  carpet,  or  whatever  came  handy.  The  city  presented 
a  remarkable  sight.  The  pine  and  cedar  trees  were 
loaded  down  with  snow,  and  in  some  cases  large  limbs 
had  broken  off;  but  already  the  mayor  had  caused 
notices  to  be  posted  calling  for  "  fifty  men  to  rake  the 
snow  off  the  cross-walks." 

"  ^Rake  the  snow'!"  Mr.  Warren  cried,  as  he  read 
one  of  the  notices.  "  It's  well  seen  they  don't  know 
much  about  handling  snow  down  here.  I  should  like 
to  see  those  fifty  men  at  work  raking  ten  inches  of 
snow."  But  he  did  not  have  the  pleasure  of  seeing 
anyone  at  work  in  the  streets  who  could  possibly 
remain  indoors.     Middle  Street,  Craven  Street,  and 


214  PINE  niDOE  PLANTATION, 

Pollock  Street  were  entirely  deserted  except  for  boyS 
snow-balling,  and  business  was  totally  suspended. 

"  You  don't  often  have  such  snows  down  here,  I 
suppose  ?"  Mr.  Warren  asked  of  a  uniformed  police- 
man at  a  crossing. 

"  No,  sir,"  the  officer  answered  politely ;  "  we  some- 
times have  a  little  sprinkle  of  snow,  but  I've  never 
seen  a  thick  snow  like  this  before,  sir." 

"  ^  Thick  snow  M"  Mary  laughed,  when  they  were  out 
of  the  policeman's  hearing.  '^  They  not  only  shovel 
it  with  rakes,  but  they  call  it  thick  !  I  wonder  what 
they  would  call  a  snow  up  to  their  shoulders,  as  I 
have  seen  it  sometimes  up  in  Ontario  County  ?" 

"  Well,  now  you  see  the  sunny  South  buried  under 
the  snow,"  Hunt  said,  "  and  some  queer  sights  worth 
seeing ;  but  we  must  be  going  home,  for  I  promised 
faithfully  to  return  the  sleigh  before  dark." 

When  they  reached  home  Scotty  had  shovelled  a  path 
from  the  front  door,  and  they  were  not  sorry  to  be 
again  before  the  blazing  fire ;  but  Hunt  had  to  take 
the  sleigh  home  and  then  return  again  with  the  mule. 

"  I  think  we  will  not  plant  cotton  to-morrow,  Mr. 
Warren,"  he  laughed,  as  he  set  out. 

"  So  is  my  every  wish  gratified,"  Mr.  Warren  said 
to  Mary,  when  they  were  left  together ;  "  I  have  heard 
the  music  of  the  sleigh  bells  and  have  even  had  a 
sleigh  ride  in  North  Carolina.  You  and  Hunt  have 
caught  the  spirit  of  the  state,  and  learned  how  to  do 
everything  possible  for  strangers.  The  people  of  New 
Bern  are  the  most  hospitable  and  agreeable  people  I 


A   MULE  AND  A   BLIZZARD.  215 

ever  saw,  but  I  really  did  not  expect  them  to  give  me 
a  sleigh  ride." 

By  the  time  that  Hunt  returned  with  the  mule  the 
snow  had  ceased  entirely,  and  the  wind  had  nearly 
died  out ;  but  the  depth/  as  he  said,  was  ten  inches  on 
a  level,  and  some  of  the  drifts  were  more  than  two  feet 
« thick/' 


CHAPTER  XXI. 

NEW   BERN   UNDER  THE   SNOW. 

Throughout  the  blizzard,  the  greatest  snow-storm 
ever  known  by  the  oldest  inhabitant  of  eastern  Korth 
Carolina,  the  temperature  did  not  fall  below  twenty- 
eight  degrees,  so  the  suifering  was  not  as  great  as  it  had 
been  some  years  before,  when,  although  the  snowfall 
was  lighter,  the  weather  was  so  much  colder  that  not 
only  the  Neuse  and  Trent  Rivers,  but  even  parts 
of  the  sounds,  were  frozen  over.  At  that  time,  when 
the  ice  broke  up  in  the  Neuse  River,  thousands  of 
dead  birds  floated  down  on  the  ice  cakes,  dead  either 
from  cold  or  starvation.  Their  own  blizzard,  how- 
ever, was  sufficient  to  satisfy  the  longings  of  the 
Northerners  for  a  taste  of  winter.  When  Mr. 
Warren  wrote  to  his  wife,  who  was  staying  with  one 
of  her  sisters,  that  the  ground  was  covered  with  ten 
inches  of  snow,  she  replied, 

^'  Why,  that  is  more  snow  than  we  have  had  all 
winter  in  the  region  of  New  York ;  yet  you  thought 
you  were  in  the  South.'' 

The  day  after  the  great  storm  was  Sunday,  for  the 
blizzard  came  on  a  Saturday  ;  but,  notwithstanding 
the  discouraging  circumstances,  Hunt  took  the  whole 

216 


NEW  BERN    UNDER   THE  SNOW.  217 

family  to  New  Bern  on  Sunday  morning  in  the  wagon 
drawn  by  the  mule,  and  they  attended  service  in  the 
brick  church  next  to  the  post-office,  where  the  attend- 
ance was  meagre  on  account  of  the  almost  impassable 
condition  of  the  streets ;  and  the  rector,  the  Rev. 
Mr.  George,  preached  a  sermon  appropriate  to  the 
occasion. 

On  Monday  they  all  visited  the  city  again,  and  found 
most  of  the  white  boys  in  Xew  Bern  engaged  in  build- 
ing snow  men,  snow  pillars,  and  pyramids,  and  rolling 
huge  snowballs  almost  as  large  as  the  negro  shanties. 

The  worst  of  the  Southern  blizzard,  however,  was 
yet  to  come,  for  the  coming  of  snow  in  the  South  is 
not  nearly  as  bad  as  its  going  away.  The  sun  on 
Monday  shone  bright  and  warm,  and  the  snow  began 
to  melt,  converting  the  unpaved  sidewalks  into  canals 
of  slush.  The  comparatively  warm  weather  con- 
tinued, and  by  Tuesday  spots  of  bare  ground  began 
to  appear.  The  mountains  of  snow  were  soon  ex- 
changed for  seas  of  mud,  for,  although  the  Craven 
County  soil  seems  to  be  composed  largely  of  sand,  it 
contains  enough  clay  to  make  a  deliciously  rich  mud 
when  well  soaked. 

"  It's  a  good  thing  that  horseless  carriage  scheme 
did  not  work,''  one  of  Hunt's  New  Bern  friends  told 
him,  looking  at  the  muddy  streets.  "  You  know 
somebody  was  going  to  establish  a  sort  of  street-car 
line  last  year,  and  got  up  a  home-made  auto-Memphis 
to  drag  some  other  vehicles  through  the  streets,  but  the 
machine  would  not  work." 


218  PINE  RIDGE  PLANTATION. 

"  ^Auto-Memphis '  V^  Hunt  asked.  "  Haven't  you 
got  the  wrong  city  ?" 

"  Oh,  to  be  sure,"  the  man  explained  ;  "  Pve  got 
too  far  north ;  I  meant  auto-Mobile.  But  the  auto, 
whatever  town  it  was,  would  have  had  fine  work  to 
pull  wagons  through  this  mud.  It  might  have  worked 
if  he  had  put  twin  screws  on  it  instead  of  wheels.'' 

Among  her  other  flowers  Mary  had  planted  some 
healthy  roots  of  the  orange  honeysuckle,  which  had 
grown  into  considerable  bushes,  and  before  the  snow 
had  disappeared  she  picked  from  them  a  little  bouquet 
of  the  fragant  flowers. 

"  This  is  another  of  the  resources  of  North  Caro- 
lina," she  told  Mr.  Warren,  as  she  presented  the 
bouquet  to  him.  ^^  I  waded  through  the  snow  to  pick 
these  flowers,  and  I  hope  you  will  send  them  up  North 
to  show  that,  although  we  can  have  blizzards  in  Feb- 
ruary, we  also  have  flowers  in  bloom." 

By  the  following  Saturday  not  a  vestige  of  the  snow 
remained,  although  there  was  still  an  unpleasant  re- 
minder of  it  in  the  wet  ground. 

"  It  goes  as  suddenly  as  it  came,"  Hunt  declared ; 
"  and  if  the  weather  continues  good  the  ground  will 
be  almost  dry  in  another  week  or  two,  and  meanwhile 
Scotty  and  I  will  go  on  with  fencing  the  big  lot." 

The  good  weather  did  continue,  and  almost  out  of 
the  snow  sprang  clusters  of  green  grass  and  fresh 
green  leaves.  Bob  was  soon  grazing  on  land  that  a 
fortnight  before  had  been  buried  under  nearly  a  foot 
of  snow. 


NEW  SEHN  UNDER  THE  SNOW.  219 

It  was  not  Hunt's  intention  to  depend  solely  upon 
cotton,  important  as  his  cotton  crop  was  to  be,  and  he 
began  to  make  preparations  for  planting  his  early 
crops  of  vegetables. 

^'  Our  white  potatoes  turned  out  well  last  year," 
he  told  Mary,  "  and  this  year  we  ought  to  do  even 
better  with  them,  for  we  not  only  have  much  more 
land  to  spare,  but  we  have  a  good  stock  of  stable 
manure  to  help  them  grow." 

Bright  spring  days  are  beautiful  anywhere ;  but 
when  they  come  in  March  and  early  April,  as  they  do 
in  North  Carolina,  they  are  doubly  enjoyable.  Corn- 
planting  time  is  a  standard  date  in  the  farmer's  cal- 
endar, by  which  he  times  the  planting  of  many  other 
crops,  and  in  the  North  he  marks  it  in  his  almanac 
for  the  tenth  of  May ;  but  by  the  tenth  of  April  the 
greater  part  of  Hunt's  field  corn  was  planted. 

"  I  have  planted  a  crop  or  two,"  Mr.  Warren  de- 
clared, "  but  this  is  something  new  to  me,  to  plant 
corn  as  soon  as  the  snow  is  melted." 

Mr.  Warren  had  spoken  several  times  of  bringing 
his  visit  to  a  close,  but  when  he  mentioned  it  now 
Hunt  took  him  out  to  the  smoke-house,  where  the  fire 
was  now  for  the  first  time  allowed  to  go  out,  and  ex- 
plained that  he  and  Mary  must  have  assistance  in 
eating  all  that  juicy  bacon,  and  the  countless  eggs,  as 
well  as  the  hens  which  laid  them. 

It  was  plain  to  them  all  that  Hunt  felt  the  weight 
of  his  new  responsibilities,  and  they  could  not  but 
sympathize  with  him.     They  knew  that  he  still  had 


220  Pim  niDGE  PLANTATION, 

a  further  payment  of  four  hundred  and  fifty  dollars 
to  make  on  the  hundred-acre  lot,  and  that  the  fertilizer 
for  it  would  cost  him  two  hundred  dollars  more,  al- 
though his  bank  account  was  somewhat  depleted  by 
the  building  of  the  house  and  the  necessary  purchase 
of  the  mule. 

"  Don't  you  worry  about  these  things,"  Mr.  War- 
ren urged  him,  clapping  him  heartily  upon  the  back, 
"  for  your  prospects  are  excellent.  The  greatest  cotton 
planters  of  the  South  would  be  filled  with  joy  with 
the  assurance  of  eight  cents  for  their  cotton.'' 

"  Yes ;  but  I  am  not  one  of  the  great  planters," 
Hunt  answered.  "  I  am  only  a  little  one  trying  to 
become  a  moderate-sized  one." 

"But  look  at  the  past,"  Mr.  Warren  continued. 
"  Two  years  ago  you  were  a  farmer's  boy,  and  one 
year  ago  you  were  beginning  the  struggle  with  five 
acres  of  land  and  a  cabin  ;  already  your  five-acre 
patch  has  grown  into  a  hundred  and  twelve  acres,  and 
the  cabin  has  grown  into  a  comfortable  house.  You 
have  every  reason  to  be  satisfied  with  your  affairs ; 
but  if  you  are  not,  suppose  you  ask  Scotty  how  he 
would  like  to  change  places  with  you  ?  He  has  no 
responsibilities,  and  he  never  will  have  much  of  any- 
thing in  this  world  without  running  some  risks. 

"See  here,  I  want  you  to  consider  this,"  Mr. 
Warren  went  on ;  "  you  are  reasonably  sure  of  fifty 
bales  of  cotton,  and,  leaving  your  eight-cent  contract 
entirely  out  of  the  question,  but  supposing  that  for 
any  reason  you  were  to  get  only  the  lowest  market 


NEW  BERN   UNDER   THE  SNOW.  221 

price  for  your  cotton,  and  putting  that  price  at  five 
cents,  which  is  certainly  the  lowest  price  imaginable, 
you  would  still  have  enough  coming  in  to  wipe  out 
all  your  indebtedness  and  leave  you  in  good  financial 
condition." 

"  I  am  glad  to  hear  you  say  that,  Mr.  Warren  !" 
Hunt  exclaimed  ;  ^'  for  I  do  not  w^ant  to  think  that 
perhaps  I  have  tried  to  go  ahead  too  fast.'' 

"  No,  you  have  not,"  Mr.  Warren  replied ;  "  ex- 
tending your  acreage  is  not  a  speculation,  for  a  sure 
thing  is  no  speculation." 

Soon  after  this  conversation  Hunt  made  occasion  to 
ask  Scotty  what  he  thought  by  that  time  of  North 
Carolina. 

"  I  think  I  have  every  reason  to  think  well  of  it, 
haven't  I  ?"  Scotty  answered.  '^  I  came  here  almost 
a  wreck,  but  now,  through  your  kindness,  I  am  as 
well  and  as  hearty  as  ever  I  was ;  but  a  little  while 
longer  of  working  in  those  mills  would  have  used  me 
up.  You  have  hit  the  nail  on  the  head,  Hunt,  and, 
as  far  as  I  can,  I  want  to  follow  your  example  and 
be  my  own  master  in  North  Carolina.  By  next  fall 
I  hope  to  have  enough  saved  out  of  my  wages  to  buy 
a  little  piece  of  land,  for  on  his  own  land  a  fellow  has 
something  to  look  forward  to." 

"  Does  Scotty  feel  that  way  about  it  ?"  Mr.  War- 
ren asked,  when  Hunt  told  him  what  Scotty  had  said. 
'^  I  am  glad  to  hear  it,  but  not  surprised,  for  Scotty 
is  no  fool.  Then  let  me  tell  you  something  that  I 
have  in  mind.  Hunt ;  I  am  glad  to  say  that  my  own 


222  PINE  UIDGE  PLANTATION. 

affairs  are  not  in  quite  as  bad  condition  as  we  sup- 
posed, nor  as  they  were  when  I  first  came  here.  The 
farm  is  gone  past  recall,  but  some  other  matters  have 
turned  out  fortunately  for  me,  and  I  am  still  able  to 
draw  my  check  for  a  respectable  amount.  As  I 
must  make  a  new  start  somewhere,  I  think  North 
Carolina  is  the  place.  If  I  were  to  buy  some  land  here, 
a  young  and  active  partner  would  be  an  advantage 
to  me,  and  Scotty  knows  something  now  about  cotton- 
planting,  so  it  may  not  be  long  before  you  will  have 
both  myself  and  Scotty  for  neighbors. '' 

"That  is  almost  too  good  to  hope  for,  sir,"  Hunt 
answered,  "  but  still  I  do  hope  for  it,  not  only  for 
ourselves,  but  also  for  your  own  sake  and  for  Scotty's." 

Thus  the  question  of  Mr.  Warren's  leaving  them 
was  disposed  of,  and,  instead  of  going  northward 
himself,  he  accepted  Mary's  and  Hunt's  invitation  to 
write  to  his  wife  to  come  and  join  him. 

It  was  a  gloriously  bright  day  when  Mrs.  Warren 
reached  New  Bern  and  Hunt  carried  her  to  the  plan- 
tation in  the  wagon.  She  was  delighted  with  every- 
thing she  saw,  but  became  alarmed  when  Jim  Crow 
suddenly  appeared  upon  the  piazza,  as  she  sat  in  the 
sitting-room,  in  his  old  reversed  position,  his  promi- 
nent feet  showing  that  the  new  shoes  had  seen  hard 
usage  during  the  winter. 

"  My,  there's  that  little  imp !"  she  exclaimed ; 
"  Nathaniel  Watt,  I  think  he  said  his  name  was ; 
and  he  is  so  ragged  he  must  have  walked  down  from 
the  North.     But  do  the  colored  people  here  all  stand 


NEW  BERN   UNDER   THE  SNOW,  223 

on  their  heads  V^  she  continued.  "  He  ought  to  wear 
his  shoes  on  his  hands,  for  he  walks  mostly  on  his 
hands." 

Seeing  them  looking  at  him,  Jim  Crow  here  turned 
a  series  of  handsprings  into  the  hall,  and  appeared  in 
the  sitting-room. 

"  Misses,  has  you  got  a  nickel  about  yo'  yo'  doan' 
want  ?"  he  asked  ;  "  I'se  a  pore  little  niggah,  an'  I  ain't 
had  no  brexfas'." 

But,  as  Hunt  made  a  step  in  his  direction,  the  ex- 
dishwasher  did  not  wait  for  the  coin,  but  hastened  out 
across  the  piazza,  down  the  stops,  and  down  the 
walk  in  another  series  of  handsprings. 

"  I  don't  mind  them  so  much  when  they  are  on 
their  feet,"  Mrs.  Warren  declared ;  "  but  I  positively 
can't  stand  them  upside  down." 

Hunt  was  delighted  at  the  arrival  of  Mrs.  Warren, 
for  he  did  not  forget  that  Mary,  in  her  endeavor  to 
assist  him,  was  almost  entirely  shut  oflP  from  the 
society  of  womankind  ;  and  he  was  pleased  again  when, 
after  a  few  days,  Mary  announced  her  intention  to 
visit  New  Bern  with  some  money  to  invest  in  dry 
goods. 


CHAPTER   XXII. 

FIFTY    BALES   OF    COTTON. 

Hunt  fully  understood  the  importance  to  him  of 
that  year's  cotton  crop,  and  made  ample  preparation 
for  it.  Before  the  ground  was  quite  dry  enough  to 
prepare  for  cotton,  he  set  to  work  alone  to  build  a 
large  shed,  about  twenty  by  thirty  feet  in  size,  that 
was  little  more  than  a  skeleton  frame  with  a  roof  to  it, 
for  it  was  to  be  used  only  as  a  store-house  after  the 
cotton  was  picked,  and  before  it  was  taken  to  the  gin 
house.  If  the  field  gave  him  enough  for  fifty  bales, 
as  he  hoped,  the  little  barn  used  the  year  before  would 
not  be  nearly  large  enough  to  protect  the  cotton  from 
rains ;  and  while  this  was  in  progress  he  set  Scotty  to 
plowing,  sometimes  with  the  mule  and  sometimes  with 
the  ox.  As  soon  as  he  was  at  liberty,  however,  he 
took  his  own  turn  at  the  plowing,  and  then  the  utility 
of  the  mule  became  apparent,  for  while  one  plowed 
with  the  ox  the  other  plowed  with  the  mule ;  and 
when  the  plowing  was  completed  he  and  Scotty  alter- 
nated in  harrowing.  He  intended  to  sow  the  whole 
field  by  hand  as  he  had  done  with  the  smaller  field 
the  year  before,  and  to  that  end  had  begun  to  mark  it 
off  in  rows  with  one  of  the  plows,  when  Mr.  Vincent 
drove  up  with  his  cotton-seed  drill  in  the  wagon. 

224 


w 


HILE  ONE  PLOWED  WITH  THE  OX  THE  OTHER  PLOWED  WITH  THE  MULE. 


FIFTY  BALES  OF  COTTON.  225 

"  No,  you  can't  sow  this  big  field  by  hand  !"  he  ex- 
claimed, "  and,  besides,  what  is  the  use  of  having 
neighbors  if  you  don't  use  them  ?  So  I  have  brought 
you  my  drill,  for  I  am  not  going  to  use  it  this  year. 
Now,  don't  think  of  returning  it  till  you  have  planted 
your  field,  and  some  rainy  day  you  can  send  Scotty 
over  with  the  wagon  to  get  the  scales  again  to  weigh 
your  cotton." 

"  ^  Not  going  to  use  it  this  year'!"  Hunt  exclaimed. 
"  Are  you  not  going  to  plant  cotton  when  it  went  up 
to  nine  and  a  half  cents  last  year  ?" 

"  That  is  exactly  why  I  am  not  going  to  plant  cot- 
ton this  year,"  Mr.  Vincent  answered,  Avith  a  laugh. 
"  With  cotton  at  nine  and  a  half  cents  last  year  every 
dooryard  will  be  turned  into  a  cotton  field  this  year, 
and  the  market  will  be  glutted ;  but  you  are  all 
right,  for  you  have  already  sold  your  crop  at  eight 
cents." 

Before  the  harrowing  was  finished,  Hunt  drove  over 
to  New  Bern  with  the  wagon  to  order  his  ten  tons  of 
fertilizer,  and  greatly  surprised  J.  E.  Latham  &  Co. 
by  giving  his  check  for  it  on  the  spot. 

Partly  in  his  own  wagon,  but  chiefly  in  the  wagons 
of  the  dealers,  the  fertilizer  was  soon  on  Pine  Ridge 
Plantation,  where  it  was  spread  over  the  ground. 
With  the  seed  drill  the  large  field  was  planted  with 
much  less  labor  than  had  been  required  for  the  plant- 
ing of  the  five-acre  lot  by  hand. 

When  the  young  plants  began  to  make  a  showing 
of  green,  as  they  did  in  a  short  time,  Mary  spent 

15 


226  PINE  RIDGE  PLANTATION. 

much  of  her  time  in  the  cotton  field,  and  both  Mr. 
and  Mrs.  Warren  became  greatly  interested. 

"Now  for  another  scraper/'  Hunt  said,  and  he 
soon  made  a  second  one,  so  that  he  and  Scotty  could 
work  together  in  keeping  down  the  weeds.  The 
appearance  of  the  sky  received  his  closest  attention, 
for  too  much  rain  in  the  spring  might  mean  much  to 
him  ;  but  there  was  neither  too  much  in  the  spring  nor 
too  little  in  midsummer.  The  weather,  indeed,  favored 
him  throughout  as  though  smiling  upon  his  efforts. 
In  due  time  the  well-grown  plants  began  to  bloom, 
and  there  are  few  prettier  rural  sights  than  a  large 
cotton  field  in  flower,  even  to  a  disinterested  specta- 
tor. No  wonder,  then,  that  Hunt  and  Mary,  know- 
ing what  depended  upon  this  field,  spent  much  of 
their  time  in  watching  it. 

"  Are  you  not  going  to  take  Mary  down  to  Beau- 
fort, Hunt,  where  many  of  the  New  Bern  people  go 
in  summer  in  search  of  a  sea  breeze?"  Mr.  Warren 
asked. 

"  Not  this  summer,"  Hunt  answered.  "  If  Sara- 
itoga  were  within  ten  miles,  and  I  had  a  thousand 
dollars  to  spend  for  pleasure,  I  should  not  go  to  it  till 
this  crop  is  picked  and  sold.  Mary  ought  to  have 
some  amusement,"  he  added,  "  but  you  know  what  it 
means  for  a  man  to  be  on  the  spot  and  attend  to  his 
own  affairs.  This  year's  cotton  crop  is  of  as  much 
importance  to  me  as  a  speculation  involving  mil- 
lions is  to  some  Wall  Street  man." 

"Ah,  you  have  the  true  business  instinct,  Hunt," 


FIFTY  BALES  OF  COTTON.  227 

Mr.  Warren  retorted.  "  Your  pleasure  is  in  your 
work,  and  that  is  the  way  that  any  young  man  must 
feel  who  would  make  money." 

Mr.  Warren  expected  to  find  the  summer  intensely 
hot,  as  he  was  in  the  sunny  South,  so  he  was  agree- 
ably disappointed  at  finding  the  hottest  August  days 
no  warmer  than  the  corresponding  days  in  the  North. 

"  Now  it  is  almost  time  to  begin  our  first  picking,'' 
Hunt  announced  when  September  came.  "  With 
a  large  field  like  this  it  is  customary  to  make  several 
pickings,  though  on  our  small  field  last  year  we 
picked  it  all  at  once,  and  I  am  going  to  send  my  fir'st 
telegrams  to-morrow  to  bring  the  pickers.'' 

'^  ^  Telegrams '  ?"  Mr.  Warren  inquired.  "  Can  you 
telegraph  for  pickers?" 

"  When  I  whisper  to  the  colored  people  in  James 
City  that  I  want  pickers,"  he  answered,  laughing, 
"the  news  travels  through  the  colored  settlement 
with  a  speed  equal  to  any  telegraph  line  in  the  world." 

He  sent  his  primitive  despatches,  and  the  following 
day  the  pickers  began  to  arrive,  men  and  women, 
boys  and  girls,  as  before,  but  in  far  greater  numbers. 

Then  Scotty  was  sent  to  Mr.  Vincent's  for  the 
scales,  and  Hunt  himself  brought  more  empty  barrels 
and  bags  from  the  city.  Pine  Ridge  Plantation  soon 
became  a  busy  place,  and  the  fleecy  cotton  began  to 
whiten  the  new  store-house  in  a  way  that  did  Hunt's 
heart  good. 

"  Well,  I  have  seen  such  scenes  before,  but  only  in 
pictures,"  Mrs.  Warren  declared,  as  she  stood  by  the 


228  PINE  RIDGE  PLANTATION. 

fence  and  watched  the  busy  pickers.  "  Now  you 
have  a  real  plantation,  Hunt,  and  I  am  glad  it  be- 
longs to  so  good  a  man.  You  were  always  faithful  to 
us,  and  you  will  be  faithful  to  yourself  and  Mary.'' 

Two  weeks  later  Hunt  began  to  haul  cotton  over 
to  the  gin  house,  for  the  first  picking  was  finished. 

"  First  fruits,'^  he  cried,  on  returning  home  one 
evening,  waving  a  small  bit  of  paper  above  his  head. 
"  Here  is  the  gin  house's  receipt  for  seventy-five 
thousand  pounds  of  cotton ;  that  is,  seed  cotton,  of 
course.  There  will  be  a  little  more  from  the  second 
and  third  pickings,  but  less  than  a  ton,  I  should 
think." 

The  next  day  when  he  went  into  the  gin  house  he 
found  himself  amid  a  wilderness  of  bales  of  cotton. 

"  They  are  keeping  you  busy  this  year,"  he  said  to 
young  Mr.  Burr  us. 

"^They'  means  you,  so  far,  for  this  is  all  your 
cotton,"  Mr.  Burrus  answered.  "  Fifty  bales  of  it 
exactly,  averaging  just  five  hundred  pounds  to  the 

bale." 

"  Then  give  me  your  receipt  for  it,  please,"  Hunt 
requested,  "for  that  will  be  easier  to  handle  than 
fifty  bales  of  cotton." 

The  gin-house  receipt  for  fifty  bales  on  demand 
was  immediately  made  out  and  handed  to  him. 

"There  is  some  seed,  also,"  INIr.  Burrus  said. 
"  From  the  fifty  bales  there  should  be  fifty  thousand 
pounds  of  seed,  or  twenty-five  tons,  which,  at  twelve 
dollars  a  ton,  is  worth  three  hundred  dollars." 


FIFTY  BALES  OF  COTTON.  229 

"And  your  charge  for  baling  and  ginning  the 
fifty  bales  ?"  Hunt  asked. 

"  For  baling,  tying,  and  strapping  fifty  bales,  at 
one  dolhir  and  twenty-five  cents  a  bale,  sixty-two 
dollars  and  fifty  cents,"  Mr.  Burrus  answered.  "  For 
ginning  the  twenty-five  thousand  pounds,  at  forty 
cents  a  hundred,  one  hundred  dollars.  Making  a 
total  of  one  hundred  and  sixty-two  dollars  and  fifty 
cents,  which,  deducted  from  the  three  hundred  dollars' 
worth  of  seed,  leaves  a  balance  in  your  favor  of  one 
hundred  and  thirty-seven  dollars  and  fifty  cents.'' 

Hunt  lost  no  time  in  going  to  the  office  of  J.  E. 
Latham  &  Co.  with  his  precious  receipt,  which  he 
showed  to  Mr.  Latham. 

"  Fifty  bales,  averaging  five  hundred  pounds  each, 
eh  ?"  Mr.  Latham  said,  as  he  read  it.  "  Give  me 
an  order  for  this  cotton,  will  you  ?" 

Hunt  picked  up  the  pad  that  was  lying  upon  the 
desk  and  wrote  the  order  in  the  following  words : 

"  Mr.  Burrus  : 

"  Please  deliver  my  fifty  bales  of  cotton  to  J.  E. 
Latham  &  Co.,  on  demand. 

"  H.  Robertson." 

Mr.  Latham  meanwhile  busied  himself  with  the 
pad  and  pencil  and  his  check-book. 

"  Thank  you,"  he  said,  when  Hunt  handed  him  the 
order  for  the  cotton.  ""Your  fifty  bales  weigh  just 
twenty-five  thousand  pounds,  which,  at  eight  cents  a 
pound,  is  worth  exactly  two  thousand  dollars;  and 
here  is  our  check  for  the  amount.     Is  that  right  ?" 


230  PINE  RIDGE  PLANTATION. 

"  Quite  right,  thank  you/'  Hunt  replied,  as  he  ex- 
amined the  check,  which  shook  a  little  in  his  hands. 

"  I  expect  a  bale  or  two  more  from  the  second  and 
third  pickings,'^  he  said. 

"  Then  bring  it  along  at  the  same  price  whenever 
it  is  ready,"  said  Mr.  Latham,  "for  our  contract 
covers  all  the  cotton  you  raise  this  year." 

"All  right,"  Hunt  retorted,  and  he  immediately 
visited  the  bank  and  deposited  his  check. 

Dick  had  to  make  fast  time  home  that  day,  for 
Hunt  had  news  for  Mary  and  Mr.  ^Yarren,  whom  he 
found  together  in  the  sitting-room. 

"  Well,  now  tell  us  all  about  it !"  Mr.  Warren  ex- 
claimed. "  Of  course,  you  have  not  done  quite  as 
well  as  you  expected,  for  nobody  ever  does." 

"  Then  I  am  an  exception  !"  Hunt  laughed,  as  he 
drew  a  chair  up  to  the  big  table  and  seated  himself, 
"  for  I  have  done  fully  as  well  as  I  expected,  and  here 
is  my  bank  book  to  show  for  it.  This  last  credit 
of  two  thousand  dollars  comes  just  in  time,  for,  with 
paying  three  hundred  dollars  for  picking  seventy-five 
thousand  pounds,  it  was  drawn  pretty  nearly  dry." 

"  But,  Hunt  Robertson  !"  Mr.  Warren  exclaimed, 
looking  at  the  bank  book  which  Hunt  held  open 
before  him,  "  do  you  mean  to  tell  me  that  you  have 
sold  one  year's  crop  from  one  hundred  acres  of  land 
for  two  thousand  dollars  ?" 

"  That  is  what  eight-cent  cotton  means,  Mr.  War- 
ren," Hunt  replied ;  "  and  I  still  have  a  few  dollars 
coming  at  the  gin  house ;  but  as  you  are  interested  in 


FIFTY  BALES  OF  COTTON.  231 

cotton  and,  I  think,  a  little  interested  in  me,  I  will 
show  you  just  what  those  hundred  acres  have  done 
for  me." 

"  Hunt !''  Mary  cried,  "  is  it  really  true  that  we 
have  two  thousand  dollars  in  the  bank  ?" 

"  It  is,"  Hunt  answered  with  some  pride.  "  That 
is  more  than  I  expected  to  have  for  a  good  many  years. 
At  a  rough  estimate,"  he  went  on,  taking  up  a  piece 
of  paper,  "  this  is  the  way  I  stand  with  the  new  lot. 
Paid  for  the  land,"  he  scribbled  with  the  pencil,  ^^  five 
hundred  dollars ;  for  fertilizer,  two  hundred  dollars  ; 
for  the  mule  and  wagon,  sixty-five  dollars ;  for  pick- 
ing, three  hundred  dollars ;  for  gin-house  charges,  one 
hundred  and  sixty-two  dollars  and  fifty  cents.  But 
to  the  two  thousand  dollars'  credit  you  must  add 
three  hundred  dollars'  worth  of  cotton  seed,  making 
twenty-three  hundred  dollars ;  which,  minus  the  twelve 
hundred  and  twenty-seven  dollars  and  fifty  cents 
expenses,  leaves  me  a  cash  profit  of  ten  hundred 
and  seventy-two  dollars  and  fifty  cents. 

"  However,"  he  continued,  "  in  estimating  the  profit 
you  must  add  the  five  hundred  dollars'  worth  of  land 
and  the  mule  and  wagon,  all  of  which  I  now  own, 
and  which  will  not  have  to  be  paid  for  another  year." 

"  But  you  paid  for  some  of  those  things,  such  as 
the  fertilizer  and  mule  and  picking  the  cotton,  Hunt !" 
Mary  exclaimed,  "  so  that  you  really  now  have  two 
thousand  dollars  clear  in  the  bank,  except  the 
four  hundred  and  fifty  dollars  you  are  to  pay  Dr. 
Primrose." 


232  PINE  RIDGE  PLANTATION. 

"  Yes,  I  have  one  Imndred  and  thirty-seven  dollars 
and  fifty  cents  still  coming  from  the  gin  house/'  Hunt 
replied,  ^'  and  I  think  there  will  be  at  least  two  more 
bales  of  cotton  from  the  last  picking." 

"  Then  you  have  made  more  than  two  thousand 
dollars  this  year/'  Mr.  Warren  said,  "  besides  all  the 
bacon  and  other  things  you  have  produced  for  the 
support  of  your  family,"  he  added,  "  and  that  is  some- 
thing to  be  proud  of.  Hunt.  Of  course,  you  cannot 
depend  upon  doing  as  well  as  that  every  year ;  but  if 
you  do  even  half  as  well  you  will  soon  be  indepen- 
dent, and  it  would  have  taken  you  a  long  time  to 
have  a  good  bank  account  like  that  at  your  old  job 
at  three  dollars  a  month." 

"  Oh,  that  was  well  enough  for  a  boy,  sir,"  Hunt 
replied ;  "  but,  of  course,  I  looked  for  something 
better  as  I  grew  older,  and  I  think  I  have  found  it 
here  in  North  Carolina." 

"  I  am  so  sure  you  have  that  I  think  I  shall  try 
North  Carolina  mvself,"  Mr.  Warren  told  him. 
"  With  a  farm  in  the  North  that  cost  twenty  times  as 
much,  I  never  made  that  much  money  in  cash  in  one 
year  out  of  it." 

"  It  is  one  of  the  beauties  of  handling  cotton," 
Hunt  replied,  "  that  it  is  spot  cash." 

"Now,  I  suppose,  you  will  be  looking  for  more 
land,"  Mr.  Warren  suggested,  "  since  you  have  done 
so  well  with  your  last  purchase." 

"  No,  sir ;  what  I  have  is  enough  for  me,  as  soon 
as  I  get  Major  Daves  to  search  the  title  and  pay  Dr. 


FIFTY  BALES  OF  COTTON.  233 

Primrose  his  four  hundred  and  fifty  dollars,  so  that 
he  can  give  me  the  deed/'  Hunt  replied.  "  I  do  not 
intend  to  buy  more  land  every  year,  but  to  give  all 
the  better  tillage,  now  that  I  can  afford  it,  to  what 
I  already  have/' 

^'  That  is  wise !"  Mr.  Warren  exclaimed,  "  and  I 
will  give  you  an  improvement  on  the  old  adage.  A 
little  farm  well  tilled  means  a  little  purse  well  filled." 

"  But  if  we  can  make  two  thousand  dollars  a  year 
out  of  one  hundred  acres,''  Mary  asked,  "  why  should 
we  not  have  twice  as  much  land  and  make  twice  as 
much  money?" 

"Ah,  Mary  !"  Mr.  Warren  laughed,  "I  am  afraid 
you  have  the  land  fever,  and  it  is  well  that  it  has  not 
attacked  Hunt.  It  does  not  follow  that  Avith  twice  as 
much  land  you  would  make  twice  as  much  money. 
With  what  he  has  now,  Hunt  can  do  most  of  his  own 
work,  and  so  be  independent,  as  he  could  not  be  if  his 
place  was  so  large  as  to  need  the  employment  of 
colored  labor. 

"As  I  understand  the  situation.  Hunt,  you  now 
have  two  thousand  dollars  in  the  bank,  out  of  which 
you  are  to  pay  four  hundred  and  fifty  dollars  to 
Doctor  Primrose  for  the  land ;  and  one  hundred  and 
thirty-seven  dollars  and  fifty  cents  coming  from 
the  gin  house,  leaving  you  sixteen  hundred  and 
eighty-seven  dollars  in  money  at  the  end  of  your 
second  year,  besides  a  farm  of  a  hundred  and  twelve 
acres  all  paid  for,  and  all  your  live  stock  and 
tools." 


234  PINE  RIDGE  PLANTATION. 

"  Yes,  sir ;  aud  a  smoke-house  full  of  meat/'  Hunt 
added. 

"  If  that  is  not  doing  well  for  the  first  two  years," 
Mr.  Warren  continued,  "for  a  stranger  in  a  new 
country,  then  I  am  no  farmer.  You  have  hit  the  nail 
right  on  the  head  by  coming  to  North  Carolina,  as 
Scotty  says,  and  now  you  have  only  to  keep  on  as  you 
have  begun  to  become  a  successful  man." 

Before  September  was  ended,  the  lawyer  had  done 
his  part  by  searching  the  title,  which  was  found  to  be 
perfect,  and  the  balance  due  on  the  land  had  been 
paid  and  the  deed  had  been  duly  made  out  and 
delivered  to  Hunt,  and  recorded.  The  estimate  of 
two  more  bales  to  come  from  the  second  and  third 
pickings  was  below  the  mark,  for  within  a  short  time 
Hunt  had  added  eighty  dollars  more  to  his  bank 
account  for  two  extra  bales,  which  left  him  credit  in 
the  Citizens'  Bank  for  sixteen  hundred  and  thirty 
dollars. 

It  was  easy  to  see  by  his  manner  that  a  load  had 
been  lifted  from  the  young  planter's  mind,  for  he  had 
no  more  risks  to  run  on  that  year's  crop ;  and  with 
such  a  comfortable  bank  account  he  was  now  in  better 
condition  to  stand  possible  failures  in  succeeding 
crops. 

"Are  you  glad  that  you  left  home  and  struck  out 
for  yourself,  Hunt?"  Mary  asked  when  they  were 
alone. 

"  I  only  left  one  home  to  come  to  another,"  Hunt 
replied.     "  This  is  home  now,  is  it  not  ?     We  like 


FIFTY  BALES  OF  COTTON.  235 

the  people  we  are  among,  and  we  have  every  reason 
to  like  the  cotton-growing  business.  I  do  not  think 
that  we  could  ask  for  anything  better.  If  I  had  con- 
tinued to  work  on  a  Northern  farm  at  three  dollars  a 
month  I  should  have  earned  exactly  seventy-two 
dollars  in  these  two  years,  instead  of  the  sixteen 
hundred  and  thirty  dollars  and  the  home  that  we 
now  have." 


CHAPTER  XXITI. 

A   VOYAGE   TO   BEAUFORT. 

When  the  December  days  brought  as  much  winter 
as  North  Carolina  generally  has,  all  the  fields  having 
been  cleaned  and  put  in  order,  Mr.  Warren,  with  con- 
siderable introduction,  made  an  unexpected  proposi- 
tion; 

^'  Now,  this  is  something  that  I  earnestly  hope  you 
will  say  ^  yes '  to,"  he  said  to  Hunt ;  "  your  crop  is 
harvested  and  the  money  in  bank,  so  there  is  nothing 
now  to  require  your  continued  presence  at  home.  I 
am  going  to  take  Mrs.  Warren,"  he  continued,  ^^  and 
make  a  little  excursion  for  a  few  days,  and  we  want 
you  and  Mary  to  join  us.  These  rivers,  as  you  doubt- 
less know,  flow  into  Pamlico  Sound,  and  by  following 
the  sound  a  short  distance  Beaufort  may  be  reached 
by  boat,  and,  indeed,  is  reached  every  day,  for  the  sail- 
ing vessels  called  sharpies  come  here  from  there  with 
cargoes  of  fish-oil,  and  return  with  whatever  cargo  or 
passengers  they  can  get. 

^'  Beaufort  is  a  summer  resort  for  the  people  of  this 
region,"  he  went  on,  "  for  it  is  continually  swept  by 
the  ocean  breezes  ;  but  it  is  also  a  winter  resort,  because 
it  is  so  near  the  Gulf  Stream  that  it  is  much  warmer 
than  New  Bern.     It  is  to  Beaufort,  in  short  that  my 

236 


A    VOYAGE  TO  BEAUFORT.  237 

wife  and  I  are  going,  and  we  particularly  want  you 
and  Mary  to  go  with  us.  Now  remember/'  he  con- 
tinued, laying  a  hand  on  Hunt's  shoulder,  "  that  I  have 
been  your  guest  for  a  long  time,  and  when  I  devise  a 
little  plan  for  turning  the  tables  a  few  days  you  must 
not  thwart  me.  The  sharpies  returning  to  Beaufort 
carry  passengers  very  cheaply,  but  I  thought  that  those 
oil  boats  would  hardly  have  comfortable  accommoda- 
tions, especially  for  ladies,  so  I  have  chartered  one  of 
the  largest  and  best  sharpies  I  have  seen  in  the  river, 
the  one  called  the  Flying  Fish,  and  she  is  to  carry  us 
down  and  back  and  to  remain  at  our  disposal  until  we 
are  done  with  her.  Indeed,''  he  continued,  "  she  is  to 
be  at  anchor  here  in  Brice  Creek  to-morrow  morning, 
so  that  we  can  put  on  board  here  whatever  provisions 
and  comforts  we  choose  for  the  voyage." 

"  Thank  you  very  much  for  your  invitation,"  Hunt 
replied,  "  and  if  it  lay  entirely  with  me  I  should  accept 
it  at  once  with  great  pleasure ;  but  I  must  consult 
Mary  first,  and  if  she  is  willing  we  will  go." 

Before  he  had  an  opportunity  to  speak  to  Mary,  the 
Flying  Fish  appeared  and  dropped  anchor  in  the 
creek,  directly  opposite  the  house,  and,  after  seeing 
her,  Mary  could  hardly  do  anything  but  consent 
to  go. 

"Isn't  it  splendid!"  she  exclaimed  when  Hunt 
repeated  the  invitation  to  her,  "to  have  our  ship 
anchored  almost  in  our  front  yard.  Why,  of  course 
I  will  go,  only  too  gladly,"  she  added,  "and  Scotty 
can  take  care  of  the  live  stock  while  we  are  away. 


238  PINE  BIDGE  PLANTATION. 

Look  at  the  beautiful  little  cabin  she  has,  where  we 
can  make  ourselves  just  as  snug  as  if  we  were  at 
home. 

"  But  why  'do  they  call  that  kind  of  boat  a  sharpie, 
Hunt  ?"  she  asked.  "  From  what  little  I  know 
about  boats,  I  should  call  her  a  schooner,  and  she 
certainly  has  a  schooner's  masts  and  sails.'' 

''That  is  the  local  name  for  those  boats,"  Hunt 
answered.  "  They  are  very  much  like  schooners,  only 
the  sides  are  built  straight  instead  of  bulgmg." 

"Oh,  we  will  have  a  beautiful  sail!"  Mary  cried. 
"We  will  put  plenty  of  provisions  on  board,  and 
some  bedding  and  rocking-chairs  from  the  house  to 
make  us  comfortable." 

The  captain  of  the  sharpie  assured  them  next  morn- 
ing that  the  trip  from  New  Bern  to  Beaufort  was  often 
made  in  one  day,  and  he  was  much  surprised  at  the 
quantity  of  hams  and  dressed  chickens  and  eggs  and 
flour  and  other  eatables  which,  as  well  as  four  rocking- 
chairs  and  a  quantity  of  bedding  and  dishes,  they 
carried  out  to  her  in  the  Maria  Louise. 

Before  nine  o'clock  in  the  morning  the  passengers 
were  all  on  board,  Scotty  having  promised  to  stay 
close  at  home  to  take  care  of  everything ;  and  the 
crew,  consisting  of  the  captain  and  two  colored  boys, 
hoisted  anchor  and  set  sail. 

"  Why,  this  is  better  than  any  of  the  sea  stories  I 
have  read ! "  Mary  cried  in  glee ;  "  to  start  from  our 
own  yard." 

"  Yes,  Miss,  and  we  have  beautiful  weather  for  it," 


A    VOYAGE  TO  BEAUFORT.  239 

the   captain    answered.     "With   this   fresh   westerly 
breeze  I  shall  land  you  in  Beaufort  before  dark." 

They  were  soon  in  the  Trent  River,  and,  as  the 
bridge  opened  its  iron  draw  for  them  to  pass  through, 
Hunt  told  the  captain  to  stop  at  the  market  wharf,  so 
that  he  could  buy  some  oysters ;  but  Hunt  soon  re- 
turned from  shore  with  the  information  that  there 
were  no  oysters  in  the  market  that  morning,  as  a 
sharpie  had  just  taken  a  big  boatload  of  them  up  to 
the  wharf  where  the  revenue  cutter  lay. 

"But  that  will  do  us  just  as  well,"  he  told  the 
captain,  "  for  we  can  run  up  the  Neuse  to  that  point 
and  get  them  there." 

"I  know  the  Neuse  River  like  a  book,"  the  captain 
replied,  and  in  a  few  moments  he  rounded  the  point 
into  the  Neuse.  The  westerly  wind  had  blown  so 
much  of  the  water  out  of  the  river  that  Hunt  was  a 
little  alarmed  about  it,  for  he  knew  that  it  was  not 
unusual  for  large  boats  to  run  aground  there  when  the 
water  was  so  low. 

When  the  Flying  Fish  was  nearly  opposite  the 
residence  of  Mr.  Burrus,  and  a  short  distance  below 
the  revenue  cutter's  wharf,  Hunt  cautioned  the  captain 
to  be  careful,  for  he  was  in  a  dangerous  spot. 

"  Oh,  don't  you  be  a  bit  afeared  when  IVe  got  the 
helium!"  the  captain  laughed,  bringing  her  about  for 
another  tack,  "for  I  know  every  inch  of  this  river; 
the  channel's  out  here  pretty  well  toward  the  middle, 
but  a  little  to  the  southward  of  the  middle,  and  furder 
in  toward  the  New  Bern  shore  is  the  shallers." 


240  PINE  RIDGE  PLANTATION. 

At  that  moment  the  sharpie,  under  good  way,  ran 
her  nose  into  the  mud  with  such  force  that  the  rock- 
ing-chairs on  deck  were  instantly  overturned,  and 
Mr.  and  Mrs.  Warren  and  Hunt  and  Mary  were  sent 
sprawling. 

"Them's  the  shallersT'  the  captain  cried;  "I  told 
you  I  knowed  'em ;  dang  it  all,  I  believe  that  the'r 
channel's  shifted  and  we're  aground.  But  never  mind, 
friends,"  he  continued,  "the  wind's  bound  to  shift, 
too,  in  the  co'se  of  a  day  or  two,  and  blow  some  water 
back  into  the  river  to  float  us  off  again." 

And,  so  saying,  he  leaned  contentedly  against  the 
rail,  as  if  prepared  for  a  long  wait. 

"^A  day  or  two'!"  Mary  cried,  regaining  her  feet 
and  helping  Mrs.  Warren  back  into  her  chair.  "  We 
can't  stay  here  stuck  in  the  mud  a  day  or  two  waiting 
for  the  wind  to  change.  I  wonder  whether  the  revenue 
cutter  wouldn't  help  us  off;  that's  what  she's  here 
for,  isn't  it,  to  help  vessels  in  distress  ?" 

"  Like  enough  she  would,"  the  captain  answered, 
"only  she's  aground  herself  See,  the  wind  has 
blowed  the  water  all  away  from  her,  and  she's  a-layin' 
in  the  mud.     She  can't  help  nobody  the  way  she  is 

now." 

"Here  comes  that  little  tug  from  the  saw-mill 
above  the  bridge,  captain,"  Hunt  interrupted.  "  Can't 
you  make  some  signal  of  distress,  to  call  her  to  our 
assistance  ?" 

"Yes,  she  can  pull  us  off  right  smart,"  the  captain 
answered.     But  instead  of  setting  a  flag  at  half-mast. 


A    VOYAGE  TO  BEAUFORT.  241 

as  Hunt  expected,  he  went  forward  and  climbed  into 
the  hold  through  the  open  hatch,  and  returned  in  a 
moment  with  a  conch  shell  in  his  hand,  with  a  hole 
bored  in  the  top,  and  on  this  he  blew  a  long  and  dole- 
ful blast. 

The  tug's  pilot  evidently  heard  the  signal,  for 
instantly  her  bow  was  headed  toward  the  sharpie; 
but  as  they  watched  her  she  suddenly  came  to  a  stop 
and  partly  keeled  over,  her  whistle  blowing  to  its 
fullest  capacity. 

"There,  by  gum,  she's  w^ent  and  did  it  herself!" 
the  captain  cried  ;  "  she's  well  aground  and  she  can't 
give  us  no  help,  we  jest  got  to  wait  here  for  more 
water,  and  you  may  as  well  make  your  minds  easy." 

"  We  may  as  well  make  our  bodies  comfortable !" 
Hunt  laughed,  "if  we  have  to  stay  here  until  the 
water  rises,  and  if  you  will  let  your  boys  lower  that 
small  boat  I  will  row  up  to  the  wharf  and  get  the 
oysters  that  brought  us  into  this  trouble." 

The  boat  was  soon  lowered,  and  Hunt  set  out,  and 
when  he  returned  he  brought  two  flour  barrels  of 
oysters  in  the  shell,  and  the  colored  boys  were  set  to 
opening  them. 

"  Now,  this  is  not  so  bad,"  Mr.  Warren  declared 
while  they  were  eating  the  excellent  oysters  raw,  the 
whole  party  by  this  time  having  settled  themselves  in 
comparative  comfort.  "  This  is  the  old  story  of  travel- 
ling in  a  sail  boat  in  shallow  waters,"  he  added, 
laughing ;  "  out  of  every  twenty  four-hours  you  must 
expect  to  spend  twenty  hours  aground ;  but  we  might 
16 


242  PINE  RIDGE  PLANTATION. 

be  much  worse  off,  for  we  have  plenty  on  board  to 
eat  and  everything  to  make  us  comfortable." 

"  Even  the  privilege  of  walking  ashore  through 
the  mud,  if  we  like !''  Mary  laughed,  for  they  were 
within  about  a  hundred  feet  of  the  sea  wall,  along 
East  Front  Street. 

That  evening  they  still  lay  in  the  mud,  and  Mary 
cooked  an  excellent  supper  in  the  little  cook  house 
forward  with  the  assistance  of  one  of  the  colored  boys. 

By  morning  the  wind  had  shifted  and  blown  more 
water  into  the  river,  and  they  were  again  afloat ;  and 
by  the  time  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Warren  turned  out  they 
were  again  under  way  toward  Beaufort. 

On  the  sandy  point  a  mile  or  two  below  New  Bern 
they  grounded  again  ;  but  in  the  course  of  two  or  three 
hours  the  crew,  with  their  long  poles,  got  them  off. 

This  was  only  the  beginning  of  what  was  to  come, 
for  they  grounded  so  many  times  that  day  that  it  was 
dark  before  they  reached  the  entrance  to  the  canal 
that  was  to  float  them  from  one  sound  to  another,  and 
the  captain  dare  not  try  the  canal  by  night. 

"  I  think  your  sharpie  was  made  for  land  travel," 
Hunt  told  the  captain  while  they  waited ;  "  and  she 
ought  to  have  wheels  under  her." 

"I  jest  wisht  she  had,"  the  captain  replied. 
"  They's  some  water  about  here,  but  it's  all  got  land 
under  it,  and  most  times  the  land  comes  mighty  near 
the  top.  If  yo'  had  a  cap'n  as  didn't  know  the 
river  you  wouldn't  have  bin  here  yet." 

The  next  morning  the  sharpie  passed  through  the 


A    VOYAGE  TO  BEAUFORT.  243 

canal,  and  soon  lay  in  Bogue  Sound,  in  front  of  Beau- 
fort, and  just  across  the  sound  from  old  Fort  Macon, 
which  they  visited  before  landing  in  Beaufort.  This 
old  fortification,  now  deserted  except  for  the  presence 
of  a  sergeant  of  the  regular  army,  was  a  work  of 
considerable  importance  in  the  Civil  War.  Beaufort 
they  found  to  be  a  village  of  five  hundred  or  six 
hundred  people,  largely  fishermen  and  their  families, 
and  they  did  not  spend  much  time  in  exploring  its 
sandy  streets.  It  was  not  Beaufort  that  they  had 
come  for,  but  the  trip,  and  of  the  trip  they  had  al- 
ready had  more  than  they  had  bargained  for.  They 
all  had  the  good  sense,  however,  to  make  sport  of 
their  difficulties,  knowing  that  in  a  sailing  vessel,  as 
elsewhere,  they  must  take  things  as  they  came. 

A  few  days  in  the  neighborhood  of  Beaufort  were 
amply  sufficient  for  them,  and  they  soon  retraced  their 
way  toward  New  Bern. 

"  You  were  the  pioneer,  Hunt,  in  selecting  a  spot," 
Mr.  Warren  told  him  on  the  way  up,  "  and  I  think 
you  made  no  mistake  in  selecting  New  Bern,  especially 
the  beautiful  bluff  on  Brice  Creek.  If  you  had 
searched  over  the  whole  South,  I  doubt  whether  you 
could  have  found  a  more  suitable  place.  There  is, 
you  see,  a  fine  bluff  along  the  Neuse  River,  also,  just 
below  New  Bern.  I  think  that  somewhere  between 
your  place  and  this  Neuse  River  bluff  is  the  place 
where  before  long  Farmer  Warren  will  be  growing 
some  cotton.  Your  experience  has  only  strengthened 
my  desire  to  become  a  cotton  planter  myself.     Now 


244  PINE  RIDGE  PLANTATION. 

that  you  have  a  good  bank  account,"  he  continued, 
"  if  my  knowlege  of  human  nature  goes  for  anything, 
you  will  soon  be  thinking  of  building  yourself  a  new 
plantation  house." 

"  No,  sir ;  for  the  present,  at  least,  I  shall  not  even 
think  of  such  a  thing,"  Hunt  replied,  "  for  the  old 
house  is  all  we  need  for  comfort,  and  I  have  no  money 
to  spend  in  fine  living ;  but  if  ever  I  do  in  the  future 
lay  the  foundation  for  a  new  house,  you  may  be  sure 
that  I  have  enough  money  in  bank  to  pay  every  cent 
that  the  house  will  cost  me,  for  I  shall  not  run  into 
debt  for  it." 

"  That  is  a  good  resolution.  Hunt,"  Mr.  Warren 
declared,  "  and  I  hope  you  will  stick  to  it,  for  the  old 
house  is  plenty  good  enough ;  and,  I  declare,  there  it 
is,  just  as  we  left  it,  with  the  Maria  Louise  floating 
at  the  foot  of  the  bluff;  and  look,  there  is  Scotty  on 
the  bluff  waving  his  hat  for  us.  Doesn't  it  give  you 
an  independent  feeling,  Hunt,  to  know  that  it  is  your 
own  land  we  are  soon  to  be  on  ?" 

"  Indeed  it  does,  sir,"  Hunt  answered.  "  The  only 
fellow  I  knew  well  up  North  was  Scotty,  and  he  is 
already  here ;  but  if  I  knew  any  more  young  men  up 
there,  I  should  certainly  write  to  them  to  lose  no  time 
about  coming  to  North  Carolina  to  grow  cotton." 

Scotty  brought  out  the  Maria  Louise  to  the  sharpie, 
and  the  chairs  and  other  goods  were  loaded  into  it, 
and  in  a  few  minutes  the  party  were  at  home  again. 

'^  Oh,  you  dear  old  fellows  !"  Mary  cried,  stroking 
the  heads  of  Kover  and  Buster,  which  sprang  lovingly 


A    VOYAGE  to  BEAUFORT.  245 

upon  her ;  "  I  did  not  know  how  much  I  loved  my 
North  CaroHna  home,  and  everything  connected  with 
it,  until  I  went  away  for  a  few  days ;  but  I  must  go 
out  now  and  speak  to  Fannie  and  Bob  and  Dick  ;  and 
give  my  love  well  mixed  with  corn  to  the  poultry. 
Then  when  I  return  to  the  house  and  smell  the  smoke 
of  lighter  knots  again,  I  shall  know  that  we  are  really 
at  home." 


CHAPTER   XXIV. 

STOCKING   A    PIG   PARK. 

"Will  you  come  out  and  see  the  park?"  Hunt 
asked  Mary,  after  they  were  well  settled  down  again 
at  home. 

"^The  park'?"  Mary  repeated;  "I  did  not  know 
that  we  had  grown  grand  enough  to  have  a  park." 

"  Well,  come  and  see,"  Hunt  told  her,  "  for  it  is  to 
be  your  own  park ;"  and  he  took  her  out  to  the  seven- 
acre  plot  which  he  and  Scotty  had  enclosed  with  a 
high  and  substantial  fence. 

"You  know  it  is  quite  the  thing,"  he  told  her, 
"  for  rich  farmers  in  the  North  to  have  their  parks  — 
very  rich  ones,  I  mean,  who  do  not  know  quite  what 
to  do  with  their  money,  and  spend  it  in  buying  deer 
for  their  parks.  We  are  not  quite  rich  enough  for 
that,  so  what  I  have  arranged  for  you  here  is  not  a 
deer  park,  but  a  pig  park." 

"^A  pig  parkM"  Mary  exclaimed.  "Who  ever 
heard  of  such  a  thing?" 

"That  makes  no  difference,"  Hunt  answered; 
"  people  who  never  heard  of  a  pig  park  can  come  here 
and  see  one  if  they  like ;  a  park  is  no  more  than  a 
bit  of  land  well  enclosed.  When  it  is  stocked  with 
deer,  it  is  called  a  deer  park ;  and  if  we  stock  this 

246 


STOCKING  A  PIG  PARK.  247 

one  with  pigs,  it  will  be  a  pig  park,  beyond  a 
doubt. 

"  I  say  that  it  is  yours,"  he  continued,  "  because  I 
made  it  especially  for  you,  and  I  know  that  you  will 
take  an  interest  in  the  pigs. 

"  Naturally  you  will  want  some  income  of  your 
own,  and  now  that  the  fishery  has  suspended  opera- 
tions (for  you  will  not  want  to  sell  fish  any  more  in 
NcAV  Bern),  I  do  not  see  what  better  money-making 
thing  you  can  turn  your  attention  to  than  bacon. 
Now  that  we  have  plenty  of  land  to  raise  corn  to 
fatten  pigs  with,  we  can  raise  as  many  as  we  like ;  a 
dozen  pigs  or  so  may  be  kept  in  a  pen,  but  with  any 
large  number  they  must  have  a  place  to  run  and  root, 
and  this  is  the  place." 

"Oh,  this  is  a  splendid  place  for  them,"  Mary 
answered,  "  where  they  can  roam  about  a  little,  but 
not  enough  to  keep  them  thin.  What  is  that  part 
fenced  off  for,  with  a  lighter  fence,  at  the  upper 
end  ?"  she  asked. 

"  That  is  for  your  poultry,"  Hunt  replied ;  "  there 
is  a  very  small  door  to  it,  you  see,  so  that  the  fowls 
can  come  into  the  larger  part  and  associate  with  the 
pigs  when  they  choose,  but  the  pigs  cannot  get  through 
to  trouble  the  fowls.  In  short,"  he  went  on,  "  here 
is  room  for  a  hundred  pigs,  and  as  many  chickens  and 
ducks  and  turkeys  as  you  care  to  keep.  I  have  built 
a  fowl  house  for  the  poultry  in  their  department,  and 
here  is  a  large  pigpen  to  shelter  the  pigs  in  bad 
weather.     Here  is  the  only  other  improvement  that  I 


248  PINE  RIDGE  PLANTATION. 

need  trouble  you  with/'  he  went  on  ;  "  do  you  see  this 
big  log  hollowed  out  into  a  trough  ?  Scotty  and  I 
hollowed  it  with  our  axes  and  wdth  fire,  and  it  is  so 
placed  w^ith  one  end  in  the  poultry  yard,  and  the  other 
in  the  pig  park,  and  close  to  the  fence  nearest  the 
creek,  that  when  it  is  filled  with  water  every  morn- 
ing, as  it  must  be,  it  will  give  drink  to  both  pigs  and 
poultry." 

"This  is  a  fine  place  for  them  both,''  Mary  de- 
clared ;  '^  and  I  shall  be  glad  to  take  charge  of  them, 
for  both  bacon  and  eggs  will  bring  us  in  some  money." 

"Now  that  you  have  seen  it,"  Hunt  told  her,  "the 
next  thing  is  to  stock  it.  You  have  poultry  enough  to 
make  a  start  by  letting  them  increase,  but  we  need  a 
lot  of  little  pigs,  and  if  you  feel  like  it  we  will  drive  over 
to  James  City  wdth  the  mule  and  try  to  find  some." 

Mary  was  more  than  willing,  and  in  a  few  minutes 
the  mule  was  harnessed  to  the  wagon,  and  they  set 
out  together  for  James  City  to  buy  little  pigs. 

"  Hunting  pigs  in  James  City  is  like  hunting 
paving  stones  in  Broadway,"  Hunt  laughed,  as  they 
drove  through  the  narrow  streets,  "and  they  are  all 
in  the  street.  James  City  itself  is  a  good  deal  of  a 
pig  park." 

As  there  are  no  dealers  in  small  live  pigs,  their 
only  way  was  to  follow  up  those  that  scampered  be- 
fore them  and  inquire  in  the  houses  under  w^hich  they 
took  refuge.  In  this  way  they  soon  bought  a  half- 
dozen  litters,  making  about  twenty-five  little  pigs ; 
some  white,  some  black,  and  some  mixed. 


STOCKING  A  PIG  PARK.  249 

"We  need  not  look  further/'  Hunt  said,  when  the 
new  purchases,  with  their  little  legs  tied,  were  de- 
posited in  the  wagon.  "We  have  told  at  least  a 
dozen  people  that  we  want  to  buy  young  pigs,  and 
before  dark  that  news  will  have  spread  through 
James  City  and  New  Bern,  too,  so  plenty  of  young 
pigs  will  soon  come  to  us." 

Mary  was  so  much  pleased  with  the  sight  when  the 
little  piggies  were  set  at  liberty  in  the  park  that 
she  ran  up  to  the  house  to  cook  some  corn  meal  for 
them. 

A  day  passed  without  any  further  steps  toward 
stocking  the  pig  park ;  but  on  the  second  day  after 
the  visit  to  James  City  the  dogs  set  up  a  great  bark- 
ing outside  as  the  family  were  about  to  eat  breakfast, 
and  Hunt  hurried  to  the  door,  where  he  found  an  old 
colored  man  in  a  long  and  very  ragged  overcoat,  the 
pockets  of  which  bulged  out  greatly  and  seemed  to 
require  considerable  attention. 

"  Mawnin',  boss,"  he  said,  shifting  a  large  covered 
basket  from  his  left  arm  to  his  right ;  "  does  yo'  want 
ter  buy  some  young  hawgs  dis  mawnin'  ?" 

"Yes,  I  don't  mind  buying  some,  Uncle  Eben,  if 
they  are  good,  healthy  ones,"  Hunt  answered.  "How 
many  have  you  got?" 

"  I'se  done  bring  yo'  eight,  boss,"  the  man  an- 
swered, lifting  the  lid  of  his  basket  to  show  them. 

"  They  seem  in  very  good  order,"  Hunt  said,  look- 
ing into  the  basket ;  "  but  there  are  only  six  here. 
Uncle  Eben." 


250  PINE  RIDGE  PLANTATION. 

^'  I  done  gwine  show  yo'  de  rest,  boss/'  the  visitor 
said  ;  and  he  set  the  basket  down  upon  the  floor,  with 
the  cover  still  open. 

Then  followed  a  struggle  to  extricate  an  unwilling 
little  pig  from  each  of  the  two  side  pockets  of  the  old 
overcoat ;  and  when,  at  length,  they  were  both  out, 
the  owner  could  not  hold  them.  In  his  efforts  to 
quiet  them  he  lost  sight  for  a  few  moments  of  the 
open  basket,  from  which  the  six  piggies  soon  escaped, 
and  he  had  eight  to  contend  with  instead  of  two. 
The  racket  made  by  the  pigs,  the  man,  and  the  two 
dogs,  which  had  returned,  soon  brought  Mary  to  the 
spot,  and  she  chased  the  scampering  animals  with 
nimble  feet,  and  soon  had  the  whole  eight  in  her  apron, 
a  squirming  mass  of  embryo  bacon ;  and  while  Hunt 
bought  and  paid  for  them  she  carried  them  out  and  set 
them  at  liberty  in  the  park. 

She  returned  to  the  house  just  in  time  to  meet  a 
very  stout  negress  with  her  head  tied  in  a  towel, 
and  something  living  and  squirming  in  her  upheld 
apron. 

"  Boss,  does  yo'  want  to  buy  a  few  nice  young 
hawgs  ?"  she  was  asking  Hunt,  and  Hunt  bought  six 
more  from  her. 

"Boss,  does  yo'  want  to  buy  a  few  nice  young 
1^  hawgs?"  was  asked  of  them  so  often  that  morning 

that  at  each  repetition  of  the  question  Mary  was 
ready  to  burst  into  a  roar  of  laughter.  It  was  asked 
by  an  old  man  with  a  bag  over  his  shoulder,  who  pro- 
duced four  piggies  from  the  bag  when  Hunt  consented 


"I    DONE   GWINE   SHOW    YO'    DE    REST,    BOSS." 


I 


I 

I 


I 


STOCKING  A  PIG  PARK.  251 

to  buy.  Then  it  was  asked  by  another  woman,  by  a 
girl  with  a  clothes-basket  on  her  head,  in  which  she 
had  seven,  and  by  a  ragged  boy,  who  had  three 
attached  to  a  rope. 

There  was  a  procession  of  colored  people  all  the 
morning,  with  "  nice  little  hawgs "  for  sale,  all  of 
which  Hunt  bought,  and  he  thought  he  must  have 
exhausted  the  young-pig  crop  of  Craven  County, 
when  a  row-boat  arrived  manned  by  two  men,  one  of 
whom  shouted,  "Boss,  does  yo'  want  ter  buy  some 
nice  young  hawgs?  We'se  brought  you  some  over 
from  Pamlico ;"  and  Hunt  bought  ten  little  ones  from 
the  boat,  as  well  as  the  two  mothers. 

With  this  addition  they  had  about  one  hundred 
pigs,  large  and  small,  in  the  park. 

"Boss,  does  yo'  want  to  buy  some  nice  little 
hawgs  ?"  Mary  laughingly  asked  when  Hunt  returned 
from  the  house  with  some  food  for  them ;  but  he  said 
that  he  would  wait  a  bit  and  take  his  "  nice  little 
hawgs''  in  the  form  of  bacon. 

"They  are  dear  little  things,"  Mary  declared,  "and 
it  seems  a  shame  to  fatten  them  only  to  kill ;  but  when 
they  become  large  enough  for  the  smoke-house  the 
bacon  will  make  an  important  addition  to  our  income. 
You  may  think  my  piggery  only  an  amusement  for 
me,"  she  continued,  "but  some  year  when  the  cotton 
crop  is  a  failure  we  shall  be  glad  enough  to  have  the 
bacon  to  sell." 

Both  Rover  and  Buster  had  followed  Hunt  to  the 
gate  of  the  pig  park,  and  he  let  them  in  before  shut- 


252  PINE  RIDGE  PLANTATION, 

ting  the  gate.  "I  want  them  to  become  accustomed 
to  staying  out  here/'  he  explained.  "Our  neighbors 
are  all  strictly  honest,  for  all  I  know  to  the  contrary ; 
but  even  an  honest  man  will  not  bother  his  neighbor's 
pigs  when  two  good  dogs  are  watching  them." 

Mary  was  sure  that  no  deer  park  ever  looked  better 
than  her  pig  park  with  its  hundred  big  and  little  pigs 
roaming  under  the  trees.  The  fowls,  too,  she  thought, 
added  greatly  to  its  appearance  when  they  were  moved 
over  from  their  old  quarters. 

While  the  brother  and  sister  were  enjoying  the 
sight  Mr.  Warren  walked  out  from  the  house. 

"  Hunt,''  he  said,  "  you  know  I  am  an  old  hand  at 
hog-raising,  and  I  Avant  to  ask  you  a  question.  Has 
it  ever  occurred  to  you  that  a  good  hog  eats  no  more 
than  a  poor  one  ?  That  is  not  very  plain,  either,"  he 
added,  "so  I  will  put  it  in  a  different  form.  What  I 
mean  is,  that  if  you  stuffed  one  of  these  razor-back 
hogs  with  corn  all  winter  long  you  would  have  hard 
work  to  make  him  weigh  more  than  one  hundred 
pounds ;  whereas  the  same  quantity  of  corn  fed  to 
some  hog  of  a  really  good  breed,  such,  for  instance, 
as  the  Chester  County  White,  would  produce  from 
five  to  six  hundred  pounds  of  pork." 

"  Yes,  sir,  I  have  thought  of  that,"  Hunt  answered, 
"and  I  know  that  it  is  true.  There  is  no  fault  to  be 
found  with  the  quality  of  hams  and  bacon  produced 
by  the  North  Carolina  razor  backs,  for  we  grow  here 
some  of  the  finest  hams  and  bacon  in  the  world.  I 
do  think,  however,  that  in  time  there  would  be  greater 


\ 


STOCKING  A  PIG  PARK.  253 

profit  in  raising  some  of  the  improved  breeds  you 
speak  of,  such  as  we  used  to  have  on  the  old  farm  in 
Ontario  County.  But  I  thought  it  best  to  begin  with 
the  plain  hog  of  the  country  till  Mary  and  I  have 
some  experience  at  the  business." 

"  That  was  wise,"  Mr.  Warren  replied  ;  "  but  when 
I  begin  my  farming  I  doubt  whether  I  can  resist  the 
temptation  to  import  some  of  the  very  large  breeds, 
if  only  to  see  what  our  colored  friends  will  think  of  a 
hog  weighing  six  or  eight  hundred  pounds." 

Hunt  was  no  hand  to  let  the  morrow  take  care  of 
itself,  but  always,  as  far  as  possible,  made  his  arrange- 
ments for  the  distant  future,  and  at  sight  of  the  many 
pigs  feeding  he  brought  out  his  tape-measure  and 
measured  off  a  site  for  another  building  just  beyond 
the  old  smoke-house. 

"  What,  not  another  building?"  Mary  asked,  coming 
upon  him  while  he  was  at  the  work. 

"  Yes,  it  is  to  be  a  new  smoke-house,  Mary,"  he 
answered,  "  and  more  than  four  times  as  large  as  the 
old  one.  The  old  one  was  large  enough  when  we 
had  less  than  a  dozen  pigs,  but  now  that  we  have  a 
hundred  or  more  we  shall  need  much  more  room  for 
bacon.  I  am  going  to  start  Scotty  at  once  hauUng 
lumber  for  it,  for,  since  it  is  to  be  built,  there  is  no  use 
wasting  time  about  it." 

In  a  day  or  two  the  lumber  began  to  arrive  from 
the  saw-mill  in  the  wagon,  and  it  was  lumber  of  a 
very  different  kind  from  what  Hunt  had  used  for  the 
first  smoke-house.     It  was  plain,  straight  boards  this 


254  PINE  RIDGE  PLANTATION. 

time,  instead  of  slabs,  for  he  now  had  money  to  pay 
the  increased  cost. 

Mary  took  great  interest  in  the  work,  and  she  was 
delighted  when  a  suggestion  she  made  was  promptly 
adopted.  It  was  that  the  new  smoke-house  should  be 
built  at  least  thirty  or  forty  feet  from  the  old  one,  so 
that  if  unfortunately  one  should  burn,  both  need  not 
be  endangered.  In  about  a  week  from  the  beginning 
the  new  smoke-house  was  completed,  even  to  the  large 
table  for  butchering  upon. 


CHAPTER  XXV. 

HUNT   VISITS   GEORGIA. 

When  the  new  smoke-house  was  finished  and  every- 
thing was  in  order  for  the  winter,  Mr.  Warren  called 
Hunt  into  the  sitting-room  to  have,  as  he  said,  '^a 
serious  talk  "  with  him. 

"  Now,  Hunt,"  he  began,  "  I  want  to  make  a  sug- 
gestion to  you  that  I  am  sure  you  will  give  attention 
to.  It  is  not,''  he  went  on,  "  because  I  am  an  old 
farmer  and  you  are  a  young  planter  that  I  shall  take 
the  liberty  to  offer  you  a  bit  of  advice.  The  fact  is 
that  I  have  made  a  failure  as  a  farmer  and  you  have 
made  a  great  success  as  a  planter,  so  we  are  at  least 
equals  on  that  score ;  but  I  am  an  older  man  than 
you.  Hunt,  and  have  seen  more  of  the  world,  and  I 
know  how  these  things  go. 

"  You  have  made  such  a  success  here,"  he  continued, 
^'  that  you  are  at  a  turning-point  in  your  career  ;  from 
nothing  to  speak  of,  you  have  built  up  and  up,  till 
now  you  have  more  than  a  hundred  acres  of  land, 
and  a  very  comfortable  little  home ;  but  you  are  not 
going  to  be  satisfied  with  that,  you  are  going  to  have 
more  and  better.     That  is  the  way  of  the  world. 

"  You  are  a  cotton  planter,"  he  resumed,  laying  his 
hand  affectionately  upon  Hunt's  knee,  "  and  you  can- 

26^ 


256  PINE  RIDGE  PLANTATION. 

not  know  too  much  about  cotton  and  how  and  where 
it  is  grown. 

"  You  came  a  stranger  to  North  Carolina/'  he  went 
on,  ^^  and  what  you  know  about  cotton  is  the  North 
Carolina  way  of  growing  and  handling  it.  Now, 
North  Carolina,  much  as  we  both  like  it,  is  not  one 
of  the  great  cotton -growing  states.  Indeed,  it  is  not 
one  of  the  leading  states  in  any  branch  of  agriculture. 
It  is  near  to  the  great  markets,  and  land  is  cheap  here, 
and  for  these  and  many  other  reasons  it  is  one  of  the 
best  places  in  the  country  for  a  young  man  who  has 
to  start  without  capital.  Now  that  you  have  the 
capital,  I  want  you  to  go  and  see  some  of  the  great 
cotton  plantations,  to  see  how  the  work  is  done  upon 
them  and  how  the  planters  live.  Before  long  you  will 
be  building  a  new  house  for  yourself,  and  you  ought 
to  see  first  how  other  planters  live.  That  you  may 
see  these  things  for  yourself  and  profit  by  them,  I 
want  you  to  make  an  excursion  into  some  of  the  great 
cotton  states." 

"  But  it  is  impossible  for  me  to  get  away,"  Hunt 
objected.  '^A  man  who  desires  to  grow  cotton  or 
anything  else  successfully  must  be  on  the  spot  to  look 
after  it." 

"  I  have  spoken  to  you  about  this  now,"  Mr.  War- 
ren resumed,  "  because  this  is  exactly  the  time  when 
you  can  best  get  away  for  a  few  wrecks  or  months. 
Here  are  Mrs.  Warren  and  mvself  in  the  house  to  be 
company  for  Mary  Avhile  you  are  away,  for  it  would 
not  be  well  for  you  both  to  go  away  at  the  same  time. 


HUNT  VISITS  GEORGIA.  257 

Leave  Mary  here  with  us ;  and  to  make  the  matter 
more  definite  I  suggest  that  you  go  down  into  the 
lower  part  of  Georgia,  where  I  am  sure  Colonel 
Andrews  has  some  friends,  and  if  you  will  follow  my 
advice  I  will  write  to  him  for  a  letter  of  introduction 
for  you.  That  is  a  great  cotton  country,  and  you 
will  learn  something  to  your  advantage.  You  can 
do  nothing  more  on  the  plantation  now  until  winter 
is  over,  and  there  is  nothing  to  hinder  you." 

"  But  do  you  think  it  would  be  fair  for  me  to  go  on 
such  a  trip  and  leave  Mary  behind  V  Hunt  asked. 

'^  I  think  it  would  not  be  fair  to  her  for  you  not  to 
go,''  Mr.  Warren  replied.  "  You  know  Mary  is  a 
girl,  and  girls  of  her  age  generally  begin  to  think  of 
beaus,  and  when  they  begin  that  they  begin  to  want 
new  clothes.  If  you  leave  Mary  enough  money  to 
refit  herself  with  clothes  which  she  needs,  you  will 
please  her  much  better  than  by  taking  her  with  you." 

"  Well,  sir,  if  you  think  I  ought  to  go  I  will  go, 
purely  as  a  matter  of  business,"  Hunt  replied. 

"  Good  for  you  !"  Mr.  Warren  exclaimed ;  "  you 
must  remember  that  a  successful  planter  needs  a  little 
more  polish  than  will  answer  for  a  poor  farm  boy,  and 
that  nothing  gives  this  polish  as  well  as  travel.  I  will 
write  to  Colonel  Andrews  at  once  for  the  letter  of 
introduction,  for  the  North  Carolina  spring  opens  so 
early  that  we  have  no  time  to  lose." 

Mr.  Warren  was  as  good  as  his  word,  and  wrote  at 
once  to  Colonel  Andrews,  and  the  mail  in  a  few  days 
brought  this  letter  of  introduction  from  him. 
17 


258  PINE  BWGE  PLANTATION. 

"Judge  Joseph  Tillman, 

Quitman,  Brooks  County,  Georgia. 
"  My  Dear  Judge : 

"  Please  allow  me  to  introduce  to  you  by  this  my 
friend  and  neighbor,  Mr.  Huntley  Robertson,  whom  I 
recommend  to  your  kindly  consideration.  Mr.  Robert- 
son came  to  North  Carolina  several  years  ago  without 
much  capital  beyond  his  knowledge  of  agriculture,  and 
by  industry  and  perseverance  he  has  already  made 
himself  the  owner  of  a  good  cotton  plantation  on  the 
Trent  River,  near  New  Bern.  He  desires  to  inform 
himself  of  your  Georgia  methods  of  handling  cotton, 
and  by  putting  him  in  the  way  of  knowing  your 
country  and  its  people  you  will  much  oblige 

"  Yours  sincerely, 

"H.  Andrews.'' 

"  That  is  exactly  the  thing,"  Mr.  Warren  said,  as 
he  handed  the  letter  to  Hunt,  "and  Quitman  is  just  the 
place  I  should  have  chosen.  I  have  often  heard 
Colonel  Andrews  speak  of  Judge  Tillman,  who  is  an 
old  and  honored  resident  of  Brooks  County.  Quit- 
man will  be  easy  for  you  to  reach,  too.  You  have 
only  to  take  the  A.  &  N.-C.  Railroad  to  Goldsboro', 
and  there  change  to  the  Atlantic-Coast  Line,  which 
will  carry  you  to  Way  cross,  in  Georgia.  At  Way- 
cross  you  change  again,  and  the  train  from  there 
will  take  you  directly  to  Quitman,  which  is  the  next 
town  to  Thomasville.  Thomasville  is  a  celebrated 
winter  resort,  and    I  am  sure  you  have   known    of 


HUNT  VISITS  GEORGIA.  259 

Northern  people  going  there  in  winter  to  benefit  their 
health.'' 

About  the  same  preparation  that  an  old  traveller 
might  make  for  cruising  in  the  Indian  Ocean  Hunt 
made  for  his  little  excursion  to  Georgia,  for  travelling 
was  entirely  new  to  him. 

"Don't  forget  yourself  and  ask  the  sleeping-car 
porter  in  the  morning  whether  he  has  fed  the  ox  yet/' 
Mr.  Warren  cautioned  him,  as  he  watched  mth  great 
interest  the  packing  of  the  new  satchel.  "Noav,  if 
you  lose  yourself,  send  us  a  telegram,"  he  laughed, 
"and  if  anyone  happens  to  be  coming  over  to  Brice 
Creek,  we  may  get  it  in  the  course  of  a  week  or  two." 

The  preparations  for  starting  included  the  putting 
of  a  neat  roll  of  bank  notes  into  Mary's  hands,  and 
Hunt  extracted  the  promise  from  her  that  the  money 
should  be  spent  for  new  clothes  during  his  absence. 

With  many  affectionate  farewells  to  his  sister,  and 
parting  instructions  to  Scotty,  Hunt  stepped  into  the 
wagon  which  Scotty  drove  up  to  the  door  to  carry  him 
to  the  railway  station  in  New  Bern,  where  he  bought 
a  ticket  for  Goldsboro'  for  one  dollar  and  ninety  cents, 
a  rate  which  opened  his  eyes  to  the  cost  of  railway 
travel  in  North  Carolina.  The  company  did  its  best, 
however,  to  give  him  the  worth  of  his  money  by  keep- 
ing him  in  a  jolting  car  between  two  and  three  hours 
for  the  short  journey.  When  he  stepped  out  of  the 
car  in  Goldsboro',  satchel  in  hand,  he  was  beside  the 
track  of  the  Atlantic-Coast  Line,  which  runs  through 
the  main  street  of  the  town.     He  had  visited  the 


260  PINE  RIDGE  PLANTATION. 

office  and  bought  his  ticket  for  Quitman,  and  was 
standing  outside  by  the  track,  when  some  one  came 
up  behind  and  relieved  him  of  his  satchel. 

"  Mawnin',  boss  Robertson/'  he  heard  in  a  voice 
that  was  somewhat  familiar.  ^*  Is  yo'  off  fer  Georgy, 
sah?  Yo'  knows  me,  don't  yo'  sah?  I'se  Kunnel 
Andrews's  boy  Mose,  sah,  an  de  kunnel  he  send  me  to 
go  'long  wid  yo'  an'  take  keer  of  yo',  sah ;  de  kunnel 
hisself  he  jist  gone  into  de  office,  sah,  and  he  say  he 
like  ter  say  good-bye  to  yo'  afore  de  train  come." 

There,  sure  enough,  were  the  face  and  form  of 
Mose,  and  Hunt  gladly  left  the  satchel  in  his  care, 
while  he  returned  to  the  office  to  say  good-bye  to 
Colonel  Andrews. 

Their  conversation  was  necessarily  brief,  as  the 
train  was  due  in  a  few  moments,  but  the  colonel  gave 
him  some  information  about  the  route,  and  wished 
him  a  pleasant  journey. 

"  Here,  hold  on,  Robertson !"  he  exclaimed,  as 
Hunt  started  again  toward  the  ticket  office.  "Not 
going  to  buy  Mose's  ticket,  are  you?  Here  is  his 
ticket  down  and  back.  It  is  bad  enough  to  saddle  a 
darkey  on  your  shoulders,  without  leaving  you  to  pay 
his  fares ;  but  Mose  is  a  good  servant,  and  I  think 
you  will  find  him  useful  on  your  journey ;  anyhow, 
I  want  to  show  those  Georgians  that  when  a  North 
Carolina  planter  travels  he  does  it  properly." 

"  Thank  you  very  much,  colonel,"  Hunt  exclaimed, 
hastily  shaking  the  colonel's  hand,  for  he  heard  the 
whistle  of  the  train,  which  drew  up  a  minute  or  two 


HUNT  VISITS  GEORGIA.  261 

later,  and  gave  him  some  new  ideas  about  railway 
trains,  for  he  had  seldom  seen  such  a  train. 

Composed  almost  entirely  of  parlor  and  sleeping- 
coaches,  the  cars  were  all  vestibuled,  their  bronze 
rails  shining  bright  enough  to  dazzle  his  eyes;  and 
in  an  instant  the  parlor  car  conductor  and  porters 
stood  by  the  end  of  each  car,  ready  to  give  informa- 
tion. 

"  For  Waycross,  sah  ?"  Mose  asked  of  the  nearest 
conductor,  for  he  had  travelled  enough  with  Colonel 
Andrews  to  know  how  such  things  were  done. 

"  Yes ;  take  seats  seven  and  eight,  if  you  are  this 
gentleman's  servant,"  the  conductor  answered.  "If 
you  are  not,  you  will  have  to  go  into  the  Jim  CroAV 
car,"  and  Mose  and  Hunt  stepped  into  the  car,  where 
it  lay  with  Hunt  to  select  the  seats  designated,  for  the 
little  accomplishment  of  reading  Mose  had  not  ac- 
quired. 

"Maybe  yo'  diden'  know  wat  de  gemman  meant 
'bout  de  Jim  Crow  car,"  Mose  said,  as  he  made  Hunt 
comfortable  in  his  seat  and  took  the  one  immediately 
behind  him. 

"Fer  dey  don'  have  no  sich  nonsense  up  Norf; 
but  down  heah  dey's  a  special  car  in  ebery  train 
for  us  niggahs,  an'  we  not  'lowed  to  ride  in  de  white 
folks'  cars  ;  but  when  a  niggah's  a  white  gemman's  ser- 
vant, it's  different,  and  de  gemman  takes  him  whare 
he  likes.  It  mos'  one  o'clock,  sah,  an'  yo'  ain't  had 
no  dinner,  sah.  Do  yo'  feel  like  havin'  som'thin'  to 
eat,  sah  ?" 


262  PINE  RIDGE  PLANTATIOl^, 

Himt  braced  himself  for  such  a  jerk  as  the  New 
Bern  train  had  started  with,  and  was  surprised  that 
the  train  was  already  in  motion  and  gliding  along  as 
smoothly  as  if  on  cushions.  He  was  a  little  uneasy, 
and  began  to  feel  his  own  insignificance,  with  both  the 
car  porter  and  Mose  fluttering  about  him  to  make 
him  comfortable,  and  brushing  off  dust  that  was  not 
there.  At  the  suggestion  of  something  to  eat  he 
looked  up  and  down  the  car  for  a  boy  selling  peanuts 
and  apples,  and,  being  decidedly  hungry,  he  regretted 
that  he  had  brought  no  lunch  with  liim. 

^'Yes,  it  is  past  dinner-time,  Mose,"  he  answered, 
"and  I  am  very  hungry,  but  I  don't  see  how  we  are 
going  to  get  anything  till  we  reach  Waycross/' 

"  Dat  wat  I  heah  fo',  sah ;  Mose  tend  to  dat,'' 
Mose  answered ;  and,  so  saying,  he  pressed  a  littles 
black  button  in  the  wall,  vv^hich  Hunt  had  not  noticed^ 
and  instantly  a  bell  rang  somewhere  in  the  distance, 
which  Hunt  feared  might  stop  the  train  ;  but  instead 
of  the  train  stopping  a  waiter  soon  appeared,  in  spot- 
less apron  and  equally  spotless  cap,  and  held  a  card 
before  Hunt,  which  contained  the  names  of  many 
delicacies  of  which  he  had  never  heard  before ;  but 
after  he  had  selected  a  soup  and  sliced  tomatoes  and 
Vienna  sausages  and  English  plum-pudding,  the 
waiter  brought  a  snug  little  table,  with  hooks  at  one 
end  to  hold  it  against  the  wall,  and  a  leg  at  the 
other,  and  spread  a  shining  white  cloth  upon  it, 
and  Hunt  would  have  enjoyed  the  prospect  more  if 
he  had  not  been  in  constant  fear  that  Mose  would 


HUNT  VISITS  GEORGIA.  263 

offend  the  stylish  waiter  with  such  imperious  orders 
as : 

"Now,  you  step  lively,  yo'  young  niggah  !  Don^ 
yo'  see  the  gemman's  in  a  hurry?  Don'  yo'  be  all 
day  'bout  gettin'  dis  truck  togedder ;  yo'  heah  me, 
now?" 

But  the  trained  waiter  was  all  smiles,  and  he  soon 
spread  upon  the  table  an  array  of  silver-plated  ware 
that  made  Hunt  wonder.  When  the  repast  was  set 
before  him  he  ate  with  pleasure,  but  he  would  have 
enjoyed  the  meal  much  more  if  he  had  not  felt  that 
both  Mose  and  the  waiter  were  watching  every  move 
and  every  mouthful. 

Eating  in  the  car,  however,  was  not  as  much  a 
novelty  as  sleeping  in  it,  and  Mose  arranged  that  he 
should  occupy  a  sofa  in  the  smoking-room,  beside  the 
porter,  but  he  did  not  retire  to  it  until  he  had  seen 
Hunt's  berth  made  up  and  his  new  boss  safely  settled 
in  it.  Then  he  told  Hunt  that  the  bell  rang  close  by 
where  he  had  to  sleep  in  the  smoking-room,  and  if  he 
should "  be  needed  in  the  night  two  pushes  of  the 
button  would  bring  him  in  a  hurry,  and  he  took  his 
leave  for  the  night,  with  the  comforting  assurance 
that  "Ef  dey  should  be  a  accident  afore  mawnin', 
Mose  he  gadder  yo'  togedder,  an'  jine  the  pieces." 
But  even  the  novelty  of  the  situation  could  not  keep 
Hunt  awake,  and  in  a  few  minutes,  as  it  seemed  to 
him,  the  porter  called  to  him  to  get  up  and  dress,  as 
the  train  would  be  at  Waycross  within  an  hour. 

The  bright  sunshine,  however,  told  him  that  he  had 


264  PINE  RIDGE  PLANTATION. 

slept  through  the  night,  and  Mose,  too,  was  on  hand 
ready  to  get  oflf*.  When  the  train  at  length  came  to 
a  gentle  stop  they  stepped  out  to  the  station  platform 
at  Way  cross,  and  Mose  knew  that  the  train  for  Quit- 
man started  from  the  other  side  of  the  same  platform, 
and  in  a  few  hours  they  were  in  Quitman,  both  master 
and  man  having  satisfied  their  hunger  at  the  railway 
lunch  counter  in  Way  cross.  In  Quitman  Hunt  was 
about  to  make  some  inquiries  about  where  Judge 
Tillman  might  be  found,  for  he  hardly  yet  appreciated 
what  it  means  to  a  stranger  to  have  two  Southern 
gentlemen  looking  out  for  his  comfort.  Before  he 
had  asked  a  question  he  felt  a  touch  upon  his  arm, 
and  the  fatherly-looking  gentleman  who  had  touched 
him  introduced  himself  as  Judge  Tillman. 

"And  you  are  Mr.  Robertson,  I  hope,"  the  judge 
said.  "My  friend.  Colonel  Andrews,  wired  me  from 
Goldsboro'  that  you  were  coming  on  this  train  with  a 
colored  servant,  so,  of  course,  I  drove  over  to  meet 
you  and  bid  you  welcome  to  Quitman ;  for  I  know 
that  he  thinks  highly  of  you,  and  any  friend  of  his  is 
more  than  welcome  in  Quitman.  Now,  you  boy," 
he  added,  turning  to  Mose,  "as  you  are  a  North 
Carolina  darkey,  it  is  only  fair  to  remind  you  that 
you  are  in  Georgia,  or  you  may  g^i  into  trouble. 
When  the  young  men  of  Quitman  expostulate  with  a 
darkey,  I  generally  make  it  a  point  to  be  at  the 
inquest."  But  as  the  judge  nudged  Hunt  with  his 
elbow,  and  smiled  as  he  spoke.  Hunt  did  not  think 
Mose's  life  in  any  particular  danger,  even  in  Georgia. 


HVj^T    visits  GEORGIA.  265 


?> 


"Unfortunately,  my  family  have  all  gone  North, 
the  judge  continued,  "so  I  have  engaged  accommo- 
dations for  you  in  the  Hotel  Marie,  where  we  will 
drive  now  if  you  are  ready,  and  the  boy  can  ride 
behind  with  the  satchel." 

Even  with  his  limited  knowledge  of  Southern 
affairs,  Hunt  could  not  help  noticing  that  the  Georgia 
way  of  dealing  with  a  negro  boy  was  different  from 
the  North  Carolina  way,  for  the  judge,  although  he 
spoke  with  great  kindness,  gave  Mose  no  chance  for 
familiarity.  When,  in  the  hotel  office,  he  thanked  the 
judge  for  his  attention,  he  handed  him  the  letter  of 
introduction,  and  the  judge,  after  reading  it,  shook 
him  warmly  by  the  hand  and  said  that  nothing  would 
give  him  greater  pleasure  than  to  take  him  out  next 
morning  and  show  him  some  of  the  fine  plantations 
of  Brooks  County ;  and  mentally  deciding  that  wher- 
ever a  man  went  in  the  South  he  was  sure  to  meet 
with  much  kindness,  Hunt  retired  to  the  large  room 
that  had  been  reserved  for  him,  for  the  best  in  the 
house  Avas  thought  none  too  good  for  a  friend  of 
Colonel  Andrews,  of  North  Carolina.  He  did  not 
know,  fortunately,  that  the  judge  had  told  the  hotel 
folks  that  they  were  to  entertain  a  large  and  wealthy 
cotton  planter  from  the  Trent  River,  or  the  probable 
size  of  his  bill  might  have  disturbed  his  rest. 

Mose's  assertion  that  his  bed  was  to  be  on  the 
floor  just  outside  the  door,  where  he  would  be  handy 
when  wanted,  did  trouble  Hunt  a  little ;  but  Mose 
was  so  well  trained  in  the  useful  art  of  taking  off"  his 


266  PINE  RIDGE  PLANTATION. 

master's  shoes  that  Hunt  soon  gave  himself  up  to 
the  comfort  of  a  Brooks  County  bed,  and  when  he 
opened  the  door  a  few  moments  later  and  found  Mose 
snoring  lustily  outside  he  became  more  resigned  to 
the  Southern  relation  between  master  and  boy. 


CHAPTER  XXVI. 

DELIGHTS   OF   HOME. 

Hunt  was  early  out  of  bed,  as  his  custom  was,  and 
Mose  was  soon  with  him  to  polish  and  lace  his  shoes, 
brush  his  clothes,  and  build  a  fire.  The  boy  seemed 
almost  hurt  at  Hunt's  refusal  to  allow  him  to  bring 
breakfast  up  to  the  room.  Hunt  insisted,  however, 
upon  going  down  to  the  breakfast  room ;  and  when 
the  meal  was  concluded  and  he  went  into  the  office  he 
found  Judge  Tillman  there  waiting  for  him,  accom- 
panied by  a  number  of  the  prominent  gentlemen  of 
the  place,  whom  he  desired  to  make  acquainted  with 
the  large  cotton  planter  from  North  Carolina.  Among 
these  gentlemen  were  Mr.  Bennet,  the  mayor  of 
Quitman,  and  Colonel  Hopson,  who  owned  the  hotel 
building.  They  gave  Hunt  a  cordial  reception,  and 
urged  him  to  make  a  long  stay  in  Brooks  County ; 
but  he  was  not  allowed  to  remain  long  with  them  at 
that  time,  for  the  judge  had  a  spirited  horse  and 
shining  buggy  waiting  outside,  and  as  the  day  was 
bright  and  warm  they  set  off  early  to  see  the  Brooks 
County  fields.  Driving  down  first  through  the  main 
street  of  Quitman,  which  is  not  as  large  a  place  as 
New  Bern,  the  judge  pointed  out  the  county  court- 
house and  its  accompanying  offices,  occupying  a  well- 

267 


268  PINE  RIDGE  PLANTATION. 

shaded  block  on  the  right-hand  side.  Then  turning 
about  they  retraced  their  way  and  ascended  a  slight 
hill  at  the  other  end  of  the  town ;  and  turning  to  the 
left  by  an  excellent  road  they  soon  passed  the  entrance 
to  the  handsome  Quitman  Cemetery,  where  everything 
was  kept  in  perfect  order. 

It  seemed  to  the  visitor  in  passing  through  the  town 
that  Quitman  was  essentially  a  place  of  the  present, 
unlike  New  Bern,  which  is  a  relic  of  the  happier  past, 
most  of  the  larger  residences  being  very  old,  and 
many  of  them  out  of  repair.  Quitman  was  more  like 
the  Northern  towns  he  knew,  with  its  fresh  paint  and 
good  roads  ;  and  all  the  roads  they  drove  over  attracted 
his  attention,  they  were  so  smooth  and  well  kept. 

Before  they  had  gone  far  the  judge  pointed  out  the 
first  cotton  field — a  field  so  large,  so  clean,  and  so  well 
fenced  that,  at  Hunt's  suggestion,  the  buggy  was 
stopped  and  he  climbed  the  fence  to  examine  the  soil. 

"  This  is  much  the  same  soil  as  we  have  in  North 
Carolina,"  he  declared,  scraping  up  a  handful  and 
finding  it  a  rich  sandy  loam. 

"  Yes ;  and  excellent  soil  for  cotton-growing,"  the 
judge  answered.  "That  is  a  fair  sample  of  our 
Brooks  County  land." 

"About  how  many  acres  are  there  in  this  field, 
sir?"   Hunt  asked.  ^ 

"  I  think  about  three  hundred,"  the  judge  replied ; 
"  and  in  this  situation  it  is  worth  about  twenty-five 
dollars  an  acre." 

"  Ah,  then  a  man  requires  considerable  capital  to 


DELIGHTS  OF  HOME.  269 

set  up  for  a  cotton  planter  in  Brooks  County  !"  Hunt 
exclaimed. 

"  Well,  that  depends,"  the  judge  replied.  "  He 
does  not  need  to  begin  with  three-hundred-acre  fields, 
you  know,  nor  to  put  up  so  many  barns  and  ware- 
houses as  this  man  has,  nor  such  a  large  dwelling- 
house.  Much  of  our  fine  wood  land,''  he  continued, 
"  can  be  bought  for  five  dollars  an  acre,  and  the  land  is 
often  paid  for  by  the  sale  of  the  timber.  Do  you  see 
that  cosey  place  off  to  the  right  ?''  the  judge  asked ; 
'^  the  well-painted  cottage  surrounded  by  substantial 
buildings?  That  place  is  owned  by  a  German,  a 
Northern  man,  who  came  here  without  any  capital  to 
speak  of,  and  has  made  himself  well-to-do.  That  shows 
that  a  man  can  come  here  as  well  as  to  North  Carolina 
and  work  his  way  up.  A  Northern  man  is  always 
made  welcome  here,  for  we  do  not  stop  to  ask  what 
part  of  the  world  a  stranger  comes  from.'' 

"  When  do  you  plant  cotton  here,  sir  ?"  Hunt  asked. 

"  That  depends  upon  the  convenience  of  the  planter," 
the  judge  replied ;  "  as  far  as  the  weather  is  concerned, 
we  can  plant  almost  any  crop  at  almost  any  time  of 
year.  This  is  January,  isn't  it  ?  and  you  don't  find  it 
very  cold.  You  will  find  some  difference  between  our 
weather  and  the  North  Carolina  weather." 

^^  Yes,  sir,"  Hunt  laughed ;  "  I  must  take  off  this 
overcoat,  for  I  really  can't  stand  it  any  longer." 

"^Overcoat'!"  the  judge  exclaimed.  "  I  did  not 
notice  that  you  were  wearing  one.  Do  you  see  that 
colored  man  coming  down  the  road  in  his  bare  feet  ? 


270  PINE  RIDGE  PLANTATION. 

Notice  the  other  one  in  the  next  big  field  there,  plow- 
ing with  the  team  of  mules.  He  is  plowing  for  cotton, 
and  the  owner  will  plant  his  cotton  as  soon  as  the 
ground  is  ready." 

"  The  planters  all  seem  to  have  fine  large  houses, 
sir,"  Hunt  said. 

"Why  not?"  the  judge  laughed.  "You  know  a 
year  ago  cotton  went  up  to  nine  and  a  half  cents,  and 
that  made  many  of  our  planters  wealthy ;  even  with 
five-cent  cotton  they  make  a  little  money. 

"  But  they  no  longer  depend  entirely  upon  cotton," 
the  judge  went  on;  "you  have  heard  of  Brooks 
County  bacon,  no  doubt,  for  it  is  celebrated  through- 
out the  country.  They  grow  corn  and  convert  it 
into  bacon.  Here,  we  will  drive  through  this  plan- 
tation yard,  so  that  I  can  show  you  one  of  our  Brooks 
County  smoke-houses." 

It  was  a  fine  large  smoke-house,  and  the  judge  said 
that  beyond  a  doubt  it  was  filled  with  bacon. 

"  That  is  a  good  one,  sir,"  Hunt  declared,  "  and  I 
have  one  very  much  like  it  at  home.  It  is  not  filled 
with  bacon  yet,  but  I  have  more  than  a  hundred  little 
pigs  growing,  and  I  hope  soon  to  have  it  filled." 

"  That  is  well,"  the  judge  asserted ;  "  cotton  and 
bacon  should  go  together. 

"  Now  I  want  you  to  notice  how  our  colored  people 
live,"  the  judge  continued  when  they  returned  to  the 
road.  "  Every  colored  family  has  its  own  little  cabin, 
you  see,  and  generally  a  small  patch  of  land  about  it 
for  a  garden.     The  cabins  are  built  by  the  plantation 


DELIGHTS  OF  HOME.  271 

owners,  and  the  colored  man  gets  so  much  a  month 
and  the  use  of  his  house.  They  generally  have  some 
pigs  and  a  smoke-house  of  their  own,  and  they  live 
very  comfortably/' 

"  The  cabins  and  their  little  grounds  are  all  neatly 
kept !"  Hunt  exclaimed.  "  Your  colored  people  seem 
to  be  more  thrifty  than  the  North  Carolina  negroes, 
where  their  cabins  are  generally  falling  to  pieces." 

"  Maybe  the  white  Georgian  has  more  influence  on 
the  negro  than  the  white  North  Carolinian  has/'  the 
judge  laughed.  "  We  keep  him  in  liis  place  in 
Georgia ;  and  the  Southern  negro  is  not  at  all  a  bad 
person  when  kept  in  his  place.'' 

Soon  they  reached  the  intersection  of  several  roads, 
where  stood  a  large  fine  plantation  house,  back  of 
which  were  hundreds  of  acres  of  well-tilled  cotton 
land,  and  across  the  road  was  a  beautiful  pine  grove ; 
and  under  the  tall,  straight  trees  were  a  number  of 
negro  cabins,  and  a  church  and  school  house  for  their 
occupants.  Going  further  on,  the  road  took  them 
into  the  pine  woods,  where  in  a  few  moments  they 
passed  a  romantic  old  mill  standing  on  the  bank  of  a 
picturesque  deep  stream.  Emerging  soon  from  the 
woods  they  passed  more  plantations,  and  Hunt's  de- 
sire to  see  fine  large  plantation  houses  was  fully 
gratified.  At  many  of  the  houses  they  stopped  and 
went  in,  and  at  every  stop  they  were  hospitably 
received. 

"  Now  this  large  plantation  that  we  are  approach- 
ing," the  judge  said,  ^'  belongs  to  two  elderly  gentle- 


272  PINE  RIDGE  PLANTATION. 

men  from  Boston,  who  have  added  here  to  their 
wealth.  As  they  are  friends  of  mine  we  must  not 
pass  the  house  without  stopping,  and  they  will  show 
us  their  gin  house,  I  am  sure. 

"  That  is  one  of  the  peculiarities  of  cotton  culture 
in  Brooks  County,"  the  judge  went  on ;  "  nearly 
every  planter  of  any  size  has  his  own  gin  house,  and 
gins  his  own  cotton.  The  smoke-house  and  the  gin 
house  are  necessary  parts  of  the  plantation.'^ 

In  the  house  they  found  it  impossible  to  leave 
without  eating  dinner ;  but  after  the  substantial  dinner 
they  returned  to  the  buggy,  and  drove  through  one 
of  the  large  cotton  fields,  where  the  judge  announced 
that  they  had  just  crossed  the  state  line,  and  were  in 
Florida. 

When  they  turned  toward  Quitman  again.  Hunt 
was  silent  and  thoughtful,  for  he  had  been  receiving 
new  ideas  and  impressions  all  day,  and  had  learned 
much  about  cotton-growing. 

"Well,  what  do  you  think  of  it?"  the  judge  asked. 
"  Now  you  have  seen  some  of  our  Brooks  County 
plantations,  do  you  think  well  of  them  ?" 

"  They  are  splendid,  sir,"  Hunt  replied ;  ''  and  I 
am  very  glad  I  came  to  see  them.  They  are  much 
superior  to  our  plantations  in  North  Carolina.  That 
is  a  new  country,  judge,  and  it  is  not  as  thickly  settled 
as  this.  Brooks  County  is  beautiful ;  but  I  do  not 
really  think  that  a  young  man  could  come  here  with- 
out capital  and  make  his  way  as  well  as  he  can  in 
North  Carolina." 


DELIGHTS  OF  HOME.  273 

"That  depends  more  upon  the  young  man  than  it 
does  upon  the  state/'  the  judge  replied.  "  Some 
young  men  would  make  their  way  anywhere,  and  some 
would  make  it  nowhere ;  but  a  young  man  can  start 
here  in  Brooks  County  without  a  cent,  and  establish 
himself  in  the  world.  There  is  plenty  of  work  to  be 
done  here,  and  plenty  of  timber  to  be  cut  and  sold. 
Then  we  have  the  very  finest  climate  in  the  world, 
Mr.  Robertson,  as  you  can  see  for  yourself.  This  is  a 
very  fair  example  of  our  midwinter  days ;  yet  with 
this  fair  country  beckoning  to  them,"  the  judge  con- 
tinued, "  and  offering  them  comfort  and  independence, 
how  many  thousands  of  the  young  men  of  our  country 
herd  together  in  the  large  cities,  working  for  barely 
living  wages  !'' 

"That  was  the  way  that  I  looked  upon  it,  sir," 
Hunt  answered,  "when  I  went  to  North  Carolina, 
and  I  find  that  independence  in  the  South  is  much 
better  than  working  for  wages  in  the  crowded  North. 

"I  like  Brooks  County  so  well  that  I  could  almost 
wish  to  be  settled  here;  yet  I  like  North  Carolina 
equally  well,  and  nothing  should  induce  me  to  leave 
the  shore  of  the  Trent.  As  far  as  my  limited  ex- 
perience goes,  it  seems  to  me  that  wherever  a  young 
Northern  man  settles  in  the  South  he  must  feel  that 
he  has  found  exactly  the  right  spot." 

"  I  am  glad  you  feel  so,"  the  judge  replied ;  "  and  I 
am  sure  you  are  right." 

They  were  back   now  at   the   hotel,  where   Hunt 
found  that  a  number  of  the  neighboring  planters  had 
18 


274  PINE  RIDGE  PLANTATION. 

called  upon  him  during  his  absence ;  and  Mose  was 
delighted  at  the  quantity  of  Georgia  mud  on  Hunt's 
clothes,  as  it  gave  him  an  opportunity  for  renewed 
brushing. 

"Well,  sah,  I  reckon  yo'  ain't  seed  nothin'  ekal  to 
ole  No'th  Ca-line  !"  he  exclaimed,  when  they  were 
alone,  the  judge  having  hurried  home  to  his  late 
dinner. 

"  I  have  seen  much  better  cotton  plantations  than 
I  ever  saw  before,''  Hunt  answered,  "  and  some  very 
kind  people ;  but  none  kinder  than  we  have  left 
behind  in  North  Carolina,  and  their  superiors  would 
be  hard  to  find." 

"  Is  yo'  t'inkin  o'  movin'  down  to  Georgy,  boss  ?" 
Mose  asked. 

"No ;  I  am  very  well  satisfied  where  I  am,"  Hunt 
replied ;  "  but  I  am  glad  I  came  down  here  to  see  the 
big  plantations,  and  some  time  I  may  build  a  good 
plantation  house  like  some  we  have  passed  to-day. 
If  ever  I  do  and  you  are  out  of  a  job,  Mose,  you 
shall  have  the  job  of  washing  the  windows  in  it." 
AYithout  stopping  to  listen  to  Mose's  thanks  for  such 
unbounded  liberality.  Hunt  went  on  to  say  that 
Brooks  County  made  him  feel  almost  as  if  he  were 
back  in  Ontario  County  in  summer,  "for  they  have 
roads  here,  Mose,  real  roads,  and  that  is  something 
we  need  to  learn  in  North  Carolina;  but  the  old 
North  state  has  done  well  by  me,  and  I  will  stand  up 
for  it  through  thick  and  thin." 

"  T'ank  yo',  sah ;  t'ank  yo',  boss  !"    Mose    replied, 


DELIGHTS  OF  HOME.  275 

taking  off  his  hat  and  bowing  very  low,  as  if  a  com- 
pliment to  his  state  required  some  acknowledgment 
from  him. 

For  several  successive  days  Judge  Tillman  took 
him  out  driving  among  the  plantations,  and  wher- 
ever they  stopped  Hunt  took  pains  to  examine  the 
tools  in  use,  and  to  inquire  about  the  best  fertilizers 
and  the  quantity  used  to  the  acre.  He  soon  became 
satisfied  that  those  planters  who  gave  their  soil  the 
most  nourishment  received  the  best  returns ;  but  he 
found  few  cotton-growing  tools  that  he  was  not  already 
familiar  with. 

On  the  third  day  he  provided  himself  with  a  pad 
and  pencil,  and  made  rough  outline  sketches  of  some 
of  the  plantation  houses  that  suited  his  fancy  ;  but 
his  sketches  were  all  of  plain  houses,  for  they  pleased 
him  best. 

Finding  that  by  taking  an  early  morning  train 
from  Quitman  he  and  Mose  could  reach  Goldsboro' 
without  spending  a  night  in  the  cars,  he  spent  one 
more  night  in  the  Hotel  Marie,  and,  thanking  Judge 
Tillman  for  his  great  kindness,  he  let  Mose  carry  the 
satchel  to  the  station. 

^^  I  am  glad  to  hear  that  you  are  doing  well  in 
North  Carolina,"  the  judge  told  him ;  "  but  I  believe 
you  would  have  done  even  better  here  in  Georgia. 
Since  you  are  well  settled  you  naturally  will  not  care 
to  change ;  but  if  you  should  change  at  all,  change 
for  the  better,  and  come  to  Brooks  County.  Here 
you  would  fine  a  warm  welcome  and  bright  prospects." 


276  PINE  RIDGE  PLANTATION. 

"  I  should  not  like  to  think  of  leaving  !N'orth  Caro- 
lina, sir/'  Hunt  replied  ;  "  but  I  think  that  I  can 
safely  advise  any  of  my  young  friends  in  the  North 
to  come  either  to  North   Carolina  or  to  Georgia." 

When  they  reached  Waycross  they  found  that  by 
going  northward  at  once  their  time  of  arrival  in 
Goldsboro'  would  be  too  late  to  catch  the  last  train 
for  New  Bern,  so  they  spent  the  night  in  one  of  the 
Waycross  hotels,  and  took  an  early  train  for  home  in 
the  morning ;  and  as  they  stepped  out  of  the  cars  in 
Goldsboro'  Hunt  was  greeted  by  Colonel  Andrews. 

"  I  had  some  business  in  town,"  the  colonel  told 
him,  "  and  I  more  than  half  thought  that  you  might 
come  to-day  by  this  train.  Well,  you  saw  some  fine 
cotton  plantations  about  Quitman,"  he  continued,  "  for 
there  are  plenty  there." 

"Oh,  there  are  splendid  plantations  in  Brooks 
County,  colonel,"  Hunt  replied.  "I  am  greatly 
obliged  to  you  for  the  letter  of  introduction  to  Judge 
Tillman,  for  he  showed  me  great  kindness  and  made 
everything  plain  to  me.  I  am  very  glad  I  made  the 
trip,"  he  continued.  "  It  has  given  me  many  new 
ideas  about  the  cotton  business.  My  notion  of  a 
cotton  planter  before  was  of  a  man  living  in  a  small 
house  like  mine,  and  driving  an  ox-team  ;  but  I  know 
now  that  he  is  equal  to  better  things  than  that." 

"  Ah,  I  thought  those  Georgia  plantations  would 
give  you  some  new  ideas  !"  the  colonel  laughed ;  "  but 
I  don't  want  you  to  think  that  it  is  only  the  Georgia 
planters  who  have  good  cotton  fields.     I  am  a  cotton 


DELIGHTS  OF  HOME.  1*11 

planter  myself,  you  know,  and  as  I  have  my  carriage 
here,  and  it  is  only  about  two  miles  out  to  my  place, 
I  want  to  take  you  home  to  dinner  with  me.  I  will 
bring  you  back  in  ample  time  for  the  evening  train 
for  New  Bern,  if  you  think  you  must  return  to-night." 

"  Thank  you  very  much,  colonel,"  Hunt  replied ; 
"but  I  must  be  home  to-night  without  fail.  I  am  a 
little  anxious  about  my  ox  and  mule,  for  fear  they 
may  have  been  neglected." 

"  Ah,  you'll  soon  change  your  way  of  talking  about 
your  stock,  Robertson  !"  the  colonel  laughed.  "  In  a 
year  or  two  there  will  be  more  than  one  ox  or  two  to 
need  your  attention,  and  you  will  be  going  home  at 
night,  I  suspect,  to  a  new  and  a  much  larger  plantation 
house.  North  Carolina  is  not  the  richest  state  in  the 
country,  but  there  is  plenty  of  room  in  it  for  new 
houses,  and  if  they  will  keep  cotton  up  above  nine 
cents  for  a  few  years,  we  planters  shall  have  the 
money  to  build  them." 

When  they  drove  out  to  the  colonel's  house  Mose 
seated  himself  beside  the  driver,  greatly  to  Hunt's 
relief.  Much  to  the  young  planter's  surprise,  it  was 
a  large  brick  mansion  to  which  they  drove,  and  fur- 
nished more  elegantly  than  anything  that  Hunt  had 
before  seen,  either  North  or  South ;  and  at  dinner 
they  were  waited  upon  by  several  colored  servants, 
who  were  so  well  trained  in  their  duties  that  Hunt 
thought  that  they  must  certainly  belong  to  a  different 
race  from  the  Craven  County  negroes. 

After  dinner  the  colonel  sent  him  back  in  the  coach 


278  PIl^E  RtDOE  PLANTATION. 

to  Goldsboro*,  and  before  dark  he  stepped  from  tlie 
car  to  the  station  platform  in  New  Bern,  carrying  his 
own  satchel  this  time  ;  but  that  was  a  pleasure  to  him, 
for  after  three  or  four  days  innocently  posing  as  a 
wealthy  cotton  planter,  and  being  waited  upon  every 
moment,  it  was  a  luxury  to  be  permitted  to  wait  upon 
himself. 

Finding  no  one  to  meet  him  caused  him  no  incon- 
venience, for  "transfers,'^  as  the  public  hacks  are 
called,  are  always  plenty  at  the  station,  and  one  of 
the  drivers  gladly  agreed  to  take  him  home  for  twenty- 
five  cents.  He  was  a  little  afraid  that  after  seeing  so 
much  his  own  place  might  seem  small  and  mean  to 
him,  but  the  sight  of  the  best  house  in  Georgia  would 
not  have  given  him  as  much  pleasure  as  seeing  Mary 
on  the  piazza  waving  both  hands  to  him  and  shouting, 
"  Welcome  home,  Hunt !  We  are  all  so  glad  to  have 
you  back." 

But  was  this  Mary  who  was  greeting  him  ?  If  it 
was,  she  had  certainly  kept  her  promise  to  visit  the  dry 
goods  stores.  After  stepping  in  to  greet  the  family 
he  went  out  to  see  to  the  safety  of  all  the  animals, 
and  concluded,  when  he  returned,  that  the  chairs  of 
home  had  increased  wonderfully  in  comfort. 


CHAPTER  XXVII. 

ME.    WAEREN's   plantation. 

Hunt  was  prepared  to  give  a  full  account  of  his 
journey  as  they  sat  before  the  fire  that  evening,  but 
he  soon  found  that  there  was  news  for  him  to  hear  as 
well  as  news  for  him  to  tell. 

"  I  have  a  new  reason  for  wanting  to  know  about 
other  plantations,"  Mr.  Warren  told  him,  ^^  for  now 
I  need  to  learn  all  that  I  can  about  the  cotton  busi- 
ness, before  I  begin  work  on  my  own  plantation." 
There  was  a  smile  about  his  mouth  that  led  Hunt 
to  suspect  something  when  Mr.  Warren  spoke  of 
his  own  plantation. 

"  Do  you  mean  it,  Mr.  Warren  ?"  he  asked,  spring- 
ing to  his  feet.  "  Have  you  been  looking  at  land 
while  I  was  away  ?" 

''  I  did  something  better  than  that,  Hunt,"  Mr. 
Warren  answered.  "  I  bought  some  land  while  you 
were  away ;  a  hundred  and  fifty  acres  of  it.  It  is 
not  a  plantation  yet,  but  I  intend  that  it  shall  be 
one  as  soon  as  I  can  get  the  timber  cut  off  and  the 
land  put  under  cultivation." 

*^That  is  the  best  news  I  have  heard  for  many 
a  day,  Mr.  Warren !"  Hunt  exclaimed.  "  I  am 
sure  your  land  is  in  North    Carolina,  because  you 

279 


280  PINE  RIDGE  PLANTATION. 

like  the  state  so  well ;  but  I  hope  it  is  close  by  this 
place,  so  that  we  can  always  be  near  neighbors." 

^^Then  the  Georgia  plantations  have  not  stolen 
your  heart  away  from  your  first  love  ?"  Mr.  Warren 
asked.  ''But  if  it  will  be  any  pleasure  to  you  to 
have  me  for  a  near  neighbor,"  he  continued,  "that 
pleasure  you  shall  enjoy,  for  you  could  stand  in  your 
big  cotton  field  and  almost  throw  a  stone  to  the  land 
that  I  have  bought,  which  is  just  a  little  further  up 
the  creek." 

"  Good  !  I  am  rejoiced  to  hear  that,  Mr.  Warren," 
Hunt  retorted  ;  "  but  I  should  have  to  make  another 
journey  to  get  the  stone  to  throw,  for  you  know 
there  are  none  here.  With  all  our  plowing  on  this 
place  we  have  not  turned  up  a  single  stone." 

"  That  speaks  well  for  the  soil,"  Mr.  Warren 
answered.  "  We  do  not  want  stones  to  raise  cotton 
in,  though  I  am  going  to  give  part  of  my  attention 
to  producing  bacon,  as  you  do.  It  is  an  actual  fact^ 
though.  Hunt,  that  I  bought  a  place  while  you  were 
away ;  and  the  sooner  I  begin  work  on  it  the  better. 
The  thing  that  chiefly  interests  me  now  is  a  house 
to  live  in.  I  want  to  have  my  plantation  house  under 
way  before  the  winter  is  over ;  and  our  North  Carolina 
winters  end  very  early ;  but  the  saw-mill  is  handy, 
and,  as  there  are  plenty  of  carpenters  in  New  Bern, 
my  house  need  not  be  long  under  way.  I  have 
thought  a  little  of  building  an  exact  duplicate  of  my 
old  house  in  Ontario  County,  but  I  do  not  know 
Avhether  that  would  be  suitable  for  a  plantation." 


MB.    WARREN'S  PLANTATION.  281 

"  No,  sir,  you  can  do  better  than  that  for  this 
climate,"  Hunt  replied.  "  I  saw  some  very  fine 
plantation  houses  in  Georgia ;  and  though  I  am  not 
much  of  an  artist,  I  made  rough  sketches  of  a  few 
of  them,  which  I  will  show  you,  and  I  hope  you 
will  call  upon  me  for  any  assistance  I  can  give  in 
getting  your  plantation  started ;  not  only  in  helping 
to  plan  the  house,  Mr.  Warren,'^  he  added,  as  Mary 
left  the  room  to  attend  to  some  household  matters, 
"  but  I  mean  financially,  too.  It  sounds  like  boast- 
ing," he  continued,  "  for  your  old  boy  to  offer  financial 
help  to  you ;  but  I  am  sure  I  do  not  mean  it  in  that 
way.  I  know  that  buying  a  plantation  outright  and 
building  such  a  house  as  you  will  want  takes  a  heap 
of  money,  and  I  hope  you  will  remember  that  I  have 
a  moderate  little  bank  account.  A  thousand  dollars 
taken  out  of  it  would  not  cripple  me  at  all,  and  if  it 
would  be  of  assistance  to  you,  I  hope  you  will  make 
free  use  of  it." 

"  No,  Hunt,  it  does  not  sound  like  boasting,"  Mr. 
AYarren  replied,  with  a  little  tremble  in  his  voice. 
"  It  sounds  just  like  the  big-hearted  boy  that  Huntley 
Robertson  always  was,  and  the  big-hearted  man  that 
he  now  is. 

^'  But  I  am  thankful  to  be  able  to  tell  you.  Hunt, 
that  my  affairs  in  the  North  have  turned  out  better 
than  I  had  any  reason  to  expect,  and  that  through 
the  generosity  and  honor  of  my  creditors  I  can  com- 
mand all  the  ready  money  that  I  shall  need,  without 
borrowing ;  but  your  kindness  in  offering  it  I  shall 


282  PINE  RIDGE  PLANTATION. 

never  forget,  Hunt,  and  I  am  glad  that  I  am  to  have 
so  good  a  man  for  a  neighbor. 

"  But  I  do  not  know  what  better  w^ord  could  be 
said  for  North  Carolina,"  he  went  on.  "  Here  is  my 
old  farm  boy  at  three  dollars  a  month  comes  down  to 
New  Bern,  and,  after  being  here  a  couple  of  years, 
offers  to  lend  me  a  thousand  dollars.  To  tell  you  the 
truth,  my  affairs  have  taken  such  a  fa/vorable  turn 
that  I  could  have  the  old  farm  back  if  I  wanted  it, 
but  I  do  not  want  it.  North  Carolina  suits  me  better, 
and  there  is  more  chance  here  to  make  money. 

"  If  I  can  do  as  well  in  proportion  as  you  have 
done,"  he  went  on,  "  w^e  may  some  day  have  our  own 
vessels  sailing  up  the  creek,  for  my  land  runs  right 
doAvn  to  the  water,  the  same  as  yours." 

"  I  think  I  have  a  better  idea  than  that,  sir,"  Hunt 
replied,  "  and  it  is  one  of  the  things  I  learned  in 
Georgia.  A  considerable  part  of  the  planter's  income 
goes  to  the  gin  house,  as  I  have  found ;  but  down 
there  each  large  cotton  plantation  has  its  own  gin 
house.  To  fit  up  a  gin  house  with  the  machinery 
required,"  he  continued,  "is  an  expensive  matter 
that  just  now  I  should  not  care  to  undertake  alone ; 
but  if  we  are  to  have  adjoining  plantations  w^e  can 
easily  establish  one  in  partnership,  and  so  each  of  us 
save  the  gin-house  charges  every  year." 

"Yes,  you  have  learned  something  by  travel,"  Mr. 
Warren  assented,  "  as  I  was  sure  you  would ;  but  you 
know  how  it  is.  When  a  man  has  bought  his  land," 
he  continued,  "  the  first  thing  he  needs  is  a  house  to 


MR.   WAMMEN'S  PLANTATION.  283 

live  in,  for  I  do  not  intend  to  settle  myself  upon  you 
for  the  next  century  or  two.  I  want  my  own  house 
on  my  own  land,  but  I  cannot  engage  the  builder 
until  I  know  about  what  kind  of  a  house  I  want." 

'^That  is  a  point  that  I  am  doubly  interested  in/' 
Hunt  answered ;  "  for  although  this  house  is  good 
enough  for  me,  I  am  pretty  sure  that  as  Mary  grows 
older  she  will  want  a  larger  home ;  but  not  one 
stick  do  I  intend  to  lay  upon  another  toward  a  larger 
house  until  I  have  enough  money  on  hand  to  pay 
for  it." 

"  That  is  wise,  Hunt !"  Mr.  Warren  exclaimed ; 
'^  and  I  am  going  to  build  my  house  at  once  because 
I  have  money  enough  on  hand  to  pay  for  it.  I  don't 
want  anything  fancy,  though,  in  the  way  of  a  house," 
he  continued  ;  ^^  just  an  old-fashioned  plain  and  com- 
fortable home." 

^'  I  noticed  in  Georgia,"  Hunt  retorted,  "  how  much 
better  and  more  suitable  the  plain  plantation  houses 
looked  than  the  fancy  ones,  so  I  did  not  waste  time 
sketching  any  of  the  fancy  houses,  but  gave  my 
attention  to  the  plain  old-fashioned  ones ;  a  house 
with  an  assorted  lot  of  piazzas  and  bay  windows  and 
useless  gables  seems  to  me  out  of  place  on  a  cotton 
plantation." 

"  It  is  out  of  place  anywhere,"  Mr.  Warren 
laughed;  ^'and  the  wise  man  never  builds  one  of 
those  modern  abominations.  Our  forefathers  knew  a 
thing  or  two  about  comfort,  and  they  deserve  our 
gratitude   for   giving   us   the   plan  of  the  big  plain 


284  PINE  RIDGE  PLANTATION. 

house  with  a  broad  hall  through  the  middle  and  rooms 
on  each  side  of  it ;  and  that  is  the  kind  I  intend  to 
build/' 

Mr.  Warren  took  great  interest  in  examining  the 
sketches  that  Hunt  showed  him,  but  he  said  that  his 
house  must  be  one  suited  to  the  site  upon  which  he 
intended  to  build  it ;  and  next  morning  he  took  Hunt 
and  ^lary  and  Scotty  over  to  see  his  place,  and  the 
situation  that  he  had  selected  for  the  new  house. 
They  had  only  to  follow  the  bluff  a  short  distance  up 
the  creek,  and  the  spot  selected  by  Mr.  Warren  for 
his  house  was  almost  on  the  edge  of  the  bluff,  where 
the  windows  of  the  building  would  not  only  command 
the  creek  below,  but  would  also  give  a  distant  view 
of  the  Trent  River.  Mr.  Warren  had  already  cut 
several  trees  which  stood  in  the  way  of  the  proposed 
building,  for  he  was  no  stranger  to  the  use  of  the  ax, 
the  hoe,  the  plow,  or  any  other  tool  used  on  a  farm. 

"  Have  vou  selected  a  site  for  the  barn,  sir?"  Hunt 
asked.  ^'  The  barn  is  of  more  immediate  import- 
ance even  than  the  house,  I  think,  for  you  must 
have  animals  to  draw  your  lumber  and  to  do  your 
spring  plowing,  and  at  this  season  they  must  be 
housed." 

"Just  about  here,  I  think,  is  the  proper  place  for 
the  permanent  stable,"  Mr.  Warren  answered,  stepping 
out  a  little  beyond  and  behind  the  site  of  the  house ; 
"but  as  the  permanent  stable  will  be  of  slower 
growth,"  he  continued,  "  I  think  I  will  put  up  first  a 
real  North  Carolina  barn  of  logs  and  branches  to 


MR.    WARREN'S  PLANTATION.  285 

shelter  from  the  rain  the  pair  of  mules  that  I  intend 
to  buy  as  soon  as  I  can  find  some  to  suit  me." 

"  Then  there  is  where  Scotty  and  I  can  be  of  some 
use/'  Hunt  quickly  answered.  "  I  wondered  whether 
there  wasn't  something  that  we  could  do  to  help  you 
get  settled,  and  that  is  just  where  we  can  be  of  use. 
Scotty  and  I  will  come  over  with  our  axes  this  morn- 
ing/' he  continued,  "and  as  you  have  selected  the 
site,  and  the  barn  is  to  be  for  a  pair  of  mules,  we  will 
soon  have  it  ready  for  them  ;  and  you  must  let  us 
know  what  trees  we  can  use  for  it,  or  whether  we  are 
at  liberty  to  use  whatever  trees  will  be  most  suitable." 

"  Oh,  the  trees  are  all  to  be  cut !"  Mr.  AVarren 
answered  ;  "  for  I  am  going  to  have  a  cotton  planta- 
tion, not  a  pine  forest ;  but  I  do  not  know  about 
letting  you  do  the  work,  when  your  own  plantation 
will  soon  need  your  attention." 

But  Hunt  knew  about  it,  and  under  his  and 
Scotty's  axes  some  of  the  smaller  trees  soon  began  to 
fall,  and  in  a  few  days  the  new  barn  was  ready  to 
be  roofed. 

Meanwhile  Mr.  Warren  was  not  idle,  for  even 
with  money  to  pay  for  what  he  needed  he  had  much 
work  to  do.  His  first  work  was  largely  with  pencil 
and  paper,  and,  after  studying  Hunt's  sketches  of 
Georgia  plantation  houses,  he  made  a  design  of  his 
own  of  a  large  rectangular  building,  with  a  broad 
hall  through  the  centre  and  rooms  on  both  sides  of  it 
in  the  first  and  second  stories,  and  a  broad  two-storied 
piazza  on  the  front  facing  the  creek.      Having  had 


2§6  PINE  RIDGE  PLANTATION, 

experience  in  building,  he  was  able  to  draw  up  a 
complete  set  of  specifications,  calling  for  both  front 
and  back  stairs,  and  doors  and  trimmings  of  oak,  ash, 
and  other  native  hard  Avoods.  This  finished,  he  took 
it  over  to  New  Bern  to  get  estimates  from  several 
builders,  and  on  the  same  trip  he  bought  a  pair  of 
mules  and  a  large  wagon,  Avith  which  he  immediately 
began  to  draw  his  lumber  from  the  saw-mill,  a  contract 
having  been  closed  with  one  of  the  builders ;  and  a 
few  days  later  boats  began  to  arrive  in  the  creek, 
loaded  with  bricks  for  the  foundation  and  chimneys. 

Himt  was  surprised  when  he  saw  the  digging  begun 
for  a  cellar  under  the  house. 

^'  Why,  Mr.  Warren  !'^  he  exclaimed,  "  you  know 
they  don't  have  cellars  in  this  country.  I  don't  believe 
there  is  a  cellar  in  all  New  Bern,  for  there  is  so  much 
water  about  us  that  a  cellar  would  soon  be  overflowed." 

"  I  don't  know  about  New  Bern,"  Mr.  Warren 
laughed ;  ^'  but  there  is  going  to  be  a  cellar  on  the 
Brice  Creek  bluff  unless  the  laws  of  Nature  are  re- 
versed in  North  Carolina.  The  site  of  my  house  is 
about  fifteen  feet  above  the  creek,  and  the  bottom  of 
the  cellar  will  be  eight  or  ten  feet  above  it ;  so  unless 
water  runs  up  hill  in  Craven  County,  I  think  the 
water  of  my  cellar  will  run  down  into  the  creek 
through  the  drains  that,  of  course,  I  intend  to  lay. 
I  have  always  had  a  cellar  under  me,  and  I  am  going 
to  have  one  now." 

Hunt  was  glad  to  see  some  of  the  old-time  snap 
in  Mr.  Warren,  and  knew  that  when  he  determined 


I 


MB.    WABBEN'S  PLANTATION.  287 

to  have  a  cellar  he  would  have  one  even  if  he  had  to 
put  in  a  steam  pump. 

"  Now,  I  want  to  tell  you  about  this  house  of 
mine,"  Mr.  Warren  explained  to  Hunt,  the  day  that 
the  builder  appeared  together  with  several  masons  and 
carpenters.  "  It  is  to  be  very  much  like  one  of  the 
plantation  houses  that  you  sketched  in  Georgia,  and 
I  have  made  some  improvements  of  my  own;  so  the 
design  is  half  yours  and  half  mine." 

It  was  like  old  times  to  see  Mr.  Warren  hurrying 
a  piece  of  work ;  and  he  did  not  let  grass  grow 
under  the  feet  of  either  masons  or  carpenters,  for 
he  saw  the  plowing-season  approaching,  and  he  had 
almost  endless  work  to  do  before  he  could  plow. 
Hunt  kept  Scotty  at  work  with  him  on  Mr. 
Warren's  place,  clearing  away  as  much  of  the  timber 
as  possible,  knowing  that  they  must  soon  give  their 
whole  time  to  the  Pine  Ridge  Plantation. 

The  early  plowing  was  soon  begun  on  Hunt's 
place,  for  there  was  no  blizzard  that  year,  and  no 
snow  to  keep  them  back.  Then  a  few  weeks  later 
the  advancing  vegetation  as  well  as  the  almanac 
told  them  that  the  time  had  come  to  prepare  for 
cotton-planting.  This  year  the  ready  cash  made 
fertilizer  two  dollars  a  ton  cheaper,  and  for  the 
crops  other  than  cotton  he  utilized  large  quantities 
of  stable  manure,  still  holding  to  his  Northern  belief 
that  the  best  fertilizer  in  the  world  comes  out  of 
the  barnyard.  The  little  piggies  had  grown  to  con- 
siderable size,  and  enough  of  them  already  had  families 


288 


PINE  RIDGE  PLANTATION, 


of  their  own  to  double  their  number,  but  none  was 
yet  large  enough  to  ornament  the  smoke-house,  so 
the  butchering  had  to  be  deferred  until  the  following 
winter. 

About  the  second  week  in  May  Mr.  Warren  and 
Hunt  met  midway  between  their  places,  each  having 
something  important  to  tell  the  other. 

"  I  want  to  show  you  my  new  cotton  up !"  Hunt 
exclaimed. 

"  But  come  with  me,"  Mr.  Warren  replied  ;  "  I 
want  to  show  you  my  new  house ;  it  was  finished 
yesterday." 

"  I  am  glad  it  is  finished,"  Hunt  declared,  "  par- 
ticularly the  roof,  for  it  seems  to  me  we  have  had 
nothing  but  rain  for  the  last  fortnight.  I  am  grow- 
ing a  little  alarmed  about  my  cotton,  Mr.  Warren, 
for  the  ground  is  much  too  w^et  for  it.  Don't  think 
that  I  am  complaining,  though ;  instead  of  that  I  am 
congratulating  myself  all  the  time  to  think  that  I 
had  more  sense  than  to  build  a  new  house  on  credit 
and  look  to  this  year's  crop  to  pay  for  it ;  so  now  if 
anything  happens  to  the  crop  there  is  no  great  harm 
done." 

They  turned  about  and  walked  over  to  the  new 
house,  where  they  found  Mrs.  Warren  and  Mary  sitting 
on  carpenters'  benches  in  the  parlor ;  and  Mr.  Warren 
made  them  all  follow  him  down  the  piazza  steps  to 
the  flight  of  brick  steps  that  he  had  built  down 
the  side  of  the  bluff,  with  railings  on  both  sides,  to 
the  roomy  summer-house  over  the  water. 


3IE.    WAEREN'S  PLANTATION.  289 

"  This  is  my  only  extravagance/'  he  laughed,  as 
they  seated  themselves  on  the  benches  around  the 
walls ;  ''  but  I  could  not  resist  the  temptation,"  he 
added,  "  to  have  a  breezy  place  to  cool  off  in  when 
I  am  heated  by  plowing  and  chopping." 

19 


CHAPTER   XXVIII. 

SCOTTY   MAKES   A   START. 

It  was  an  open  question  with  Hunt  for  sonae  time 
whether  the  almost  continuous  rains  would  so  injure 
the  cotton  that  he  should  be  compelled  to  replow  and 
replant  the  field ;  but  he  was  not  so  much  worried 
himself  as  to  fail  to  see  that  something  was  weigh- 
ing upon  Scotty's  mind,  and  he  asked  him  one  day : 

"What  is  the  matter,  Scotty?  I  know  you  are 
troubled  about  something,  but  you  must  not  let  the 
long  rain  bother  you ;  even  if  the  crop  fails  entirely 
that  will  not  kill  us,  for  there  will  be  more  years 
after  this." 

"  I  am  afraid  I  am  more  selfish  than  you  give  me 
credit  for,  Hunt,''  Scotty  replied.  "  I  should  dislike 
very  much  to  see  anything  happen  to  the  cotton  crop, 
but  it  is  my  own  affairs  that  I  am  worrying  about." 

"  Why,  I  thought  Mr.  Warren  contemplated  taking 
you  into  partnership  on  his  new  plantation  !"  Hunt 
exclaimed. 

"That's  just  it,"  Scotty  explained.  "You  see, 
Mr.  Warren  is  spending  a  lot  of  money  on  that 
plantation,  and  I  have  no  money  to  put  in  for  my 
share.  Mr.  Warren  is  an  awfully  kind  man,"  he  con- 
tinued, "  but  he  is  not  foolish  enough  to  take  in  a  real 

290 


SCOTTY  MAKES  A  START.  291 

partner  without  capital,  and  then  furnish  all  the 
money  himself.  I  have  thought  the  thing  over  care- 
fully, and  I  know  that  under  such  an  arrangement  I 
should  have  no  more  to  look  forward  to  than  if  I  had 
stayed  in  the  North  working  for  wages.  Indeed,  I 
have  been  working  for  wages  ever  since  I  came  south, 
Hunt,  though  I  have  not  a  word  of  fault  to  find,  for 
I  came  here  half-dead,  and  now  I  am  as  well  and 
strong  as  anybody." 

"Why,  it  is  only  for  your  own  sake  that  Mr. 
Warren  thinks  of  a  partnership,"  Hunt  declared. 
"  He  wants  to  help  you  along." 

"  I  know  it,"  Scotty  answered,  "  and  that  makes  it 
all  the  worse.  If  I  do  not  agree  to  anything  he  pro- 
poses he  will  think  me  ungrateful.  I  am  very  grate- 
ful to  him,"  he  continued,  "  but  my  ambition  is  to 
make  a  little  start  on  my  own  land,  even  if  it  is  only 
five  or  ten  acres,  and  work  up  gradually,  as  you  did. 
That  would  suit  me  much  better  than  being  a  sort  of 
one-horse  partner  on  another  man's  place." 

"Much  as  I  like  Mr.  Warren,"  Hunt  asserted, 
"  I  must  say  that  I  think  you  are  right.  I  believe  in 
a  fellow  having  his  own  land  and  working  for  him- 
self; but  if  you  stay  in  the  neighborhood  to  work  for 
Mr.  Warren  whenever  he  needs  you,  you  will  do  him 
just  as  much  service  as  if  you  w^re  nominally  his 
partner.  I  shall  need  you,  too,  and  with  the  two  of 
us  to  work  for  you  will  have  at  least  as  good  a  chance 
as  I  had.  Now,  see  here,  Scotty,"  Hunt  went  on  ; 
"  if  that  is  the  way  you  feel  about  it,  I  want  to  have 


292  PINE  RIDGE  PLANTATION. 

a  little  business  talk  with  you.  Here  is  my  place 
on  the  creek,  and  about  a  quarter  of  a  mile  above, 
also  on  the  creek,  is  Mr.  Warren's  place,  leaving 
about  a  quarter  of  a  mile  of  land  between  us.  Now, 
a  few  days  ago,''  he  went  on,  '^  old  Mr.  Gibbs,  who 
owns  twenty  acres  of  that  land  fronting  on  the  creek, 
offered  to  sell  me  his  twenty  acres  for  five  dollars  an 
acre.  If  you  want  a  little  place  of  your  own,  I  do 
not  see  how  you  could  situate  yourself  better  than  by 
buying  those  twenty  acres.  That  would  make  you  a 
start,  and  put  the  three  of  us  all  in  a  row  along  the 
creek  :  my  place  here,  then  yours,  then  Mr.  Warren's, 
and  you  would  be  handy  to  both,  when  we  wanted 
you,  until  you  grew  too  rich  to  do  days'  work." 

"  Five  times  twenty  equals  one  hundred,  they  used 
to  teach  me  in  the  Geneva  Academy,"  Scotty  retorted. 
"  That  is  a  beautiful  little  plan  of  yours,  but  the  weak 
point  in  it  is  the  hundred  dollars  necessary,  for  I 
have  no  hundred  dollars  to  buy  land  or  anything  else 
with." 

"  Yes  ;  but  you  have  !"  Hunt  explained.  "  It  is 
exactly  seventy -five  dollars  that  I  owe  you  to  date  for 
labor,  and  it  would  be  a  small  matter  for  a  total 
stranger,  much  less  for  an  old  friend,  to  advance  you 
twenty-five  dollars  more  on  account  of  your  labor  for 
the  rest  of  this  season  ;  so  if  you  like  the  land  after 
looking  over  it,  you  have  only  to  say  so,  and  it  shall 
be  yours." 

This  offer  was  too  tempting  for  Scotty  to  refuse, 


SCOTTY  MAKES  A  START.  293 

and  in  less  than  a  month  he  was  the  owner  of  the 
Gibbs  tract  of  twenty  acres  on  Brice  Creek. 

When  the  spring  rains  ceased  they  were  followed 
by  a  long  drought,  and  the  appearance  of  the  cotton 
field  caused  Hunt  to  shake  his  head  doubtfully  when 
he  made  his  daily  visit  to  it.  The  blooms  were  small 
and  sickly,  like  the  plants,  and  the  leaves  began  to 
droop.  The  crop  was  so  evidently  in  danger  for  want 
of  water  that  Hunt  thought  seriously  of  having 
Scotty  help  him  carry  water  up  in  pails  from  the 
creek ;  but  the  task  of  carrying  water  so  far  for  so 
large  a  field  seemed  so  hopeless  that  he  did  not  under- 
take it. 

Mary  worried  over  the  drooping  plants  much  as 
she  might  have  worried  over  a  sick  pet.  She  selected 
a  dozen  of  the  hills  for  her  especial  care,  and  every 
day  she  pumped  water  and  poured  it  over  them ;  but 
her  hard  work  could  have  done  little  good,  and  the 
crop  must  have  suffered  seriously,  if  the  drought  had 
not  been  broken  by  a  furious  early  summer  thunder- 
storm, in  which  the  rain  poured  down  in  torrents, 
showing  the  fallacy  of  the  statements  of  the  would-be 
weather-wise,  who  said  that  the  clouds  had  spilled  so 
much  water  in  the  spring  that  they  had  no  more  to 
spare  for  summer. 

"That  is  worth  some  money  to  us,  Mary,''  Hunt 
said  to  his  sister,  as  they  sat  on  the  piazza  watching 
the  rain. 

"And  the  crop  is  saved,''  Mary  shouted,  clapping 
her  hands  in  glee. 


^94  PI^^S  RiDGt:  PLANTATlOl^. 

"This  will  save  it,  at  any  rate,  from  total  loss/* 
Hunt  replied.  "  It  looked  like  a  bad  case  for  a  while, 
but  if  we  had  had  no  cotton  to  pick  we  need  not  have 
complained.  AYe  must  expect  to  take  the  bad  weather 
with  the  good,  for  we  cannot  expect  the  weather  to 
suit  itself  to  our  especial  needs.  I  will  congratulate 
myself  once  more  that  I  did  not  run  into  debt  to 
build  a  larger  house.  Then  I  can  congratulate  Mr. 
Warren  on  the  fine,  dry  weather  he  had  for  bringing 
his  new  furniture  over  from  New  Bern.  It  was  just 
what  Scotty  needed,  too,  for  cutting  timber  and  putting 
up  a  shanty  on  his  place." 

Scotty  had  been  working  at  intervals  for  Mr. 
Warren,  who  had  his  own  cotton  crop  growing ;  and 
Scotty's  cabin  at  first  was  little  more  than  a  ware- 
house, for  it  had  been  decided  that  he  was  to  make 
his  home  with  Hunt  as  long  as  he  pleased.  Between 
Hunt  and  Mr.  Warren  he  had  scarcely  an  unemployed 
day,  except  when  the  rain  interfered. 

Preparing  for  cotton-picking  now  was  no  novelty 
to  the  young  planter.  Early  in  September  the  barrels 
and  bags  for  it  were  ready,  and  word  was  given  out 
that  pickers  were  needed.  This  year  there  was  not 
such  an  avalanche  of  cotton  in  the  ware-house. 

Thinking  that  he  had  borrowed  Mr.  Vincent's 
scales  often  enough,  Hunt  drove  over  to  New  Bern 
and  bought  a  set  of  his  own.  Scotty  was  again  the 
marker  to  weigh  the  seed  cotton  as  it  was  brought  in 
by  the  pickers ;  but  ponder  as  he  would  over  Scotty's 
little  book.  Hunt  could  not  convince  himself  that 


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SCOTTY  MAKES  A   START.  295 

there  would  be  much  more  than  three-quarters  of  a 
crop.  The  plants  looked  well,  but  they  could  not 
stand  two  such  severe  strains  upon  their  vitality  as 
the  long  flooding,  followed  by  the  long  drought,  with- 
out affecting  the  crop. 

Mr.  Warren  was  almost  as  much  interested  as 
Hunt  in  the  latter^s  crop,  and  even  the  arrangement 
of  his  new  furniture  had  to  wait  while  he  went  over 
to  watch  Scotty's  weighing. 

After  the  second  picking,  with  little  more  left  in 
the  bolls,  the  account  showed  that  sixty  thousand 
pounds  of  seed  cotton  had  been  picked. 

This  cotton  Hunt  took  himself  over  to  the  gin 
house  in  the  barrels  and  bags,  and  it  was  not 
gratifying  to  him  to  learn  that  cotton  was  selling 
that  year  in  New  Bern  for  six  and  a  half  cents  a 
pound. 

"  Come,  now,  partner,"  he  said  to  Mary,  one  even- 
ing, before  he  had  settled  his  accounts  at  the  gin 
house  or  sold  the  cotton  ;  "  let  us  see  how  we  stand 
with  this  year's  cotton ;  you  put  down  the  figures," 
he  went  on,  when  they  were  in  the  sitting-room  to- 
gether. 

"  Ten  tons  of  fertilizer,  at  eighteen  dollars  a  ton, 
is  one  hundred  and  eighty  dollars,"  he  told  her ;  and 
she  put  it  down. 

"  Then,  picking  sixty  thousand  pounds,  at  forty 
cents  a  hundred,  is  two  hundred  and  forty  dollars. 
Now  for  the  gin-house  charges. 

"  That  sixty  thousand  pounds  of  seed  cotton,"  he 


296  PINE  RIDGE  PLANTATION. 

continued,  "  should  give  us  twenty  thousand  pounds 
of  clear  cotton. 

"  Now  wait  a  minute/'  he  continued ;  "  twenty 
thousand  pounds  divided  by  five  hundred,  the  num- 
ber of  pounds  to  a  bale,  will  make  just  forty  bales. 

"  Put  down  baling — forty  bales,  at  one  dollar  and 
twenty-five  cents  a  bale,  is  fifty  dollars;  and  ginning, 
eighty  dollars. 

"  Now,  foot  that  up,  sis,  and  see  what  the  crop  has 
cost  us.'' 

"Just  five  hundred  and  fifty  dollars,"  Mary  an- 
swered, after  pausing  a  moment  to  do  the  adding. 

"Now,  wait  a  moment,"  Hunt  cautioned  her. 
"  This  is  all  expense  so  far ;  but  let  us  see  what  the 
returns  will  be.  The  market  price  this  year,"  he 
continued,  "is  only  six  and  a  half  cents  a  pound. 
A  five-hundred-pound  bale  of  cotton,  at  six  and  a 
half  cents  a  pound,  is  worth  how  much  ?" 

"  Thirty-two  dollars  and  fifty  cents,"  Mary  an- 
swered. 

"  Then  at  thirty-two  dollars  and  fifty  cents  a  bale," 
Hunt  went  on,  "  what  will  our  forty  bales  be  worth?" 

"Exactly  thirteen  hundred  dollars,"  Mary  an- 
swered. 

"  There's  another  drop  to  add  to  that,"  Hunt 
went  on,  "  for  every  bale  of  clear  cotton  we  get 
half  a  ton  of  cotton  seed  worth  six  dollars,  or  two 
hundred  and  forty  dollars  in  all." 

"  Exactly  fifteen  hundred  and  forty  dollars,"  Mary 
answered,  after  making  the  addition. 


SCOTTY  MAKES  A  START.  297 

"All  right/^  Hunt  resumed.  "Now  subtract  the 
five  hundred  and  fifty  dollars  expenses  from  that,  to 
see  what  we  make  on  this  year's  cotton." 

Mary  did  the  subtracting  and  read  her  figures : 

"  Leaving  nine  hundred  and  ninety  dollars  profit 
on  this  year's  cotton  above  all  expenses/' 

"All  right;  that's  just  what  I  make  it/'  Hunt 
replied.  "  Now  let  me  twist  your  brain  with  a  few 
more  figures.  We  have  seen,"  he  went  on,  "that 
with  a  good  price  and  with  a  good  year  we  can  clear 
about  two  thousand  dollars.  This  bad  year  and  at  a 
low  price  we  will  clear  nearly  one  thousand  dollars. 
In  the  two  years  together,  the  good  with  the  bad,  we 
make  three  thousand  dollars,  or  an  average  of  fifteen 
hundred  dollars  a  year,  taking  the  good  year  with  the 
bad. 

"That  is  not  making  a  sudden  fortune,"  Hunt 
laughed ;  "  but  I  know  of  a  few  Northern  farmers 
with  fortunes  invested  in  their  farms  who  would  be 
glad  if  they  could  average  half  as  much  annual 
profit." 

When  the  cotton  was  sold  a  few  weeks  later,  and 
all  accounts  settled  with  the  gin  house.  Hunt's  bank 
book  showed  that  his  estimate  was  correct  almost  to 
the  dollar. 

"  But  it  is  on  cotton  alone  that  this  represents  the 
profits  of  the  year,"  Mary  objected,  when  Hunt  ex- 
hibited the  bank  book  to  her.  "  You  have  left  my 
department  out  entirely,  and  I  think  that  with  the 
hogs  I  shall  be  able  every  year  to  make  a  considerable 


298 


PINE  RIDGE  PLANTATION. 


addition  to  the  profits.  You  ought  to  see  how  fat 
they  are,  and  I  have  been  doing  a  little  estimating  on 
my  own  account.  We  have  now  nearly  two  hundred 
fat  hogs,  some  of  them  so  fat  they  can  hardly  walk. 
I  base  my  estimate  on  what  we  did  Avith  a  few  hogs 
last  year,  that  we  average  at  least  forty  pounds  of 
smoked  bacon  to  a  hog.  So  with  two  hundred  hogs 
this  year  we  ought  to  have  at  least  eight  thousand 
pounds  of  bacon.  I  know  that  sounds  like  a  good 
deal.  Hunt,  for  eight  thousand  pounds  is  four  tons ;  but 
in  the  two  smoke-houses  we  can  easily  cure  that  much. 
The  lowest  price  we  have  had  for  our  bacon  and  hams 
is  eight  cents  a  pound,  and  eight  thousand  pounds  at 
that  rate  would  brmg  us  six  hundred  and  forty  dollars. 

"  And  you  must  remember.  Hunt,  that  that  costs  us 
nothing  but  our  own  labor  and  perhaps  a  few  days' 
work  for  Scotty  in  killing-time,  for  we  grow  all  the 
feed  for  the  hogs  and  all  the  other  stock,  and  we  have 
plenty  of  wood  to  smoke  the  meat  with.  So  I  was 
not  far  wrong.  Hunt,  when  I  told  you  long  ago  that 
in  bad  cotton  years  we  might  be  glad  enough  to  have 
the  bacon  to  help  out. 

"  If  my  account  is  as  nearly  correct  as  yours  was, 
you  can  add  about  six  hundred  dollars  to  the  average 
yearly  profit,  which  will  bring  it  up  above  two  thou- 
sand dollars,  and  that,  I  think,  is  something  for  us 
both  to  be  proud  of." 

'^  It  is  one  thing  to  make  our  profits  on  paper/' 
Hunt  said,  after  walking  out  to  look  more  carefully 
at  the  hogs ;  "  but  we  have  estimated  correctly  about 


SCOTTY  MAKES  A  START,  299 

the  cotton,  and  I  think  you  can  do  even  better  than 
you  expect  with  the  pork. 

"  It  is  a  fine,  bright  day,"  he  continued,  "  and  in  a 
short  time  I  shall  be  busy  with  the  pig-killing,  for 
winter  will  soon  be  upon  us.  We  have  been  neglect- 
ing the  Maria  Louise  lately,  and  I  suggest  that  you 
and  I  take  a  sail  up  to  Mr.  Warren's,  and  take  Rover 
and  Buster  along,  for  I  w^ant  to  see  how  our  neighbor 
has  made  out  with  his  cotton  crop." 

The  sail  was  agreed  upon,  and  when  Mr.  Warren 
saw  them  coming  he  went  down  to  the  summer-house 
and  met  them  there.  The  new  cotton  planter  was  in 
excellent  spirits,  for  notwithstanding  the  bad  weather 
and  the  low  price  as  well  as  the  small  part  of  his  land 
that  had  been  ready  for  planting,  he  had  cleared 
several  hundred  dollars  on  the  crop,  and  he  looked 
upon  that  as  only  a  fraction  of  what  he  could  do 
under  more  favorable  circumstances. 

At  Mr.  Warren's  suggestion  Mary  went  up  to  the 
house  to  see  Mrs.  Warren,  and  during  her  absence  he 
showed  that  he  was  making  a  real  North  Carolinian 
of  himself  by  borrowing  the  Maria  Louise  and  sail- 
ing her  down  to  the  fish  market  after  a  few  bushels 
of  oysters. 

The  result  of  this  trip  was  that  Hunt  and  Mary 
were  compelled  to  stay  and  help  eat  an  oyster  supper 
in  Mr.  Warren's  new  dining-room,  Scotty  having  run 
out  meanwhile  and  brought  back  a  colored  man  to 
open  the  oysters. 

This  little  feast  reminded  Hunt  of  a  place  in  New 


SOO  PINE  niDGE  PLANTATION. 

Bern  where  cooked  oysters  and  other  good  things 
could  always  be  had,  and  he  told  Mr. Warren  that  he 
had  a  day  or  two  before  received  an  invitation  to  join 
the  Craven  Club,  but  that  he  did  not  think  it  Avould 
be  best  for  him  to  accept  it,  as  he  had  little  spare 
time  for  going  to  a  club. 

"  The  Craven  Club  is  rather  different  from  most 
clubs,"  Mr.  Warren  told  him.  "  The  club  house  is  in 
Pollock  Street,  and  some  of  the  first  gentlemen  of 
New  Bern  can  generally  be  met  there.  It  is  a  com- 
pliment to  you  that  you  have  been  invited  to  join  it, 
and,  although  you  may  not  be  able  to  go  often,  I 
should  not  be  in  too  much  of  a  hurry  about  declining 
the  invitation  ;  but  take  time  to  think  it  over." 

"I  think  you  ought  to  join  it.  Hunt,"  Mary  ex- 
postulated, "  for  you  ought  to  have  a  little  play  mixed 
with  your  work." 

"  I  do  not  care  for  play,"  Hunt  replied ;  "  but  I 
know  that  the  members  take  their  wives  to  the  club 
house  sometimes  for  dinner  or  supper,  and  where  a 
man  can  take  his  wife  he  can  take  his  sister ;  so  if  I 
do  join  it  will  be  largely  on  your  account,  for  I  think 
that  you  are  the  one  who  is  most  in  need  of  a  little 
play ;  but  after  the  hogs  are  killed  will  be  time  enough 
for  us  to  make  up  our  minds." 


CHAPTER    XXIX. 

NEW  ACQUAINTANCES. 

When  the  pig-killing  time  came,  Scotty's  assistance 
alone  was  not  enough,  and  Hunt  selected  several  of 
the  neighboring  colored  men  who  could  be  of  most 
use  to  him  in  such  work.  Even  with  this  additional 
help,  the  killing  and  butchering  and  salting  occupied 
more  than  two  weeks  ;  and  when  the  work  was  finished 
and  the  smoke-house  fires  lighted  both  of  the  smoke- 
houses had  almost  solid  ceilings  of  pork. 

It  was  perhaps  because  he  was  kept  so  busy  with 
this  work  that  Hunt  did  not  at  first  notice  an  impor- 
tant change  that  had  been  made  in  the  household 
economy.  When  Mr.  Warren  removed  to  his  own 
house,  Mary  changed  her  sleeping-room,  taking 
possession  of  the  room  formerly  occupied  by  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  Warren,  as  Hunt  had  often  urged  her  to  do. 
She  thus  had  a  good  modern  bedstead  with  springs, 
and  she  had  ornamented  the  room  with  curtains  and 
table  covers  and  a  dressing-case  with  a  marble  slab, 
till  it  looked,  as  Hunt  thought,  as  fine  as  any  parlor. 

"  Now  that  my  old  room  is  vacant,"  she  told  him 
when  he  first  spoke  of  the  change,  "  you  had  better 
take  it  for  your  sleeping-room,  so  you  will  not  have 
to  sleep  in  the  kitchen  any  more.      That  was  well 

301 


302  PINE  RIDGE  PLANTATION. 

enough  for  a  poor  working  boy,  but  it  will  not  do  for 
a  successful  cotton  planter  f  and  Hunt,  agreeably  to 
her  wishes,  exchanged  his  Hyde  County  bed  in  the 
kitchen  for  Mary's  old  bed  of  the  same  pattern  in  the 
little  back  room. 

It  gradually  dawned  upon  his  masculine  mind  that 
a  great  change  had  come  over  Mary  for  the  better 
within  a  few  months.  That  she  had  used  at  least  a 
part  of  the  money  he  left  with  her  for  the  purchase 
of  new  clothing  was  evident  to  him  whenever  he 
looked  at  her,  although  she  had  refrained  from  pur- 
chasing any  of  the  articles  that  Hunt  and  Scotty 
termed  ^^  fancy  jim-cracks,"  and  her  attire,  though 
much  improved,  was  still  plain  and  substantial  and 
well  adapted  to  her  situation  and  household  work. 
The  improvement  in  her  manner  he  attributed  to  her 
association  with  Mrs.  Warren ;  and  when  that  lady 
told  him  that  his  sister  was  a  very  pretty  young  lady 
he  was  not  disposed  to  dispute  it. 

That  his  improved  condition  had  made  an  equal 
improvement  in  his  own  bearing  and  manner  he  could 
not  so  easily  see,  though  his  associates  saw  it ;  and 
even  Hunt  could  not  help  noticing  that  when  he  went 
over  to  New  Bern  he  was  no  longer  addressed  as 
"  Hunt,  my  boy  !"  even  by  his  intimates,  but  was 
always  called  either  E-obertson  or  Mr.  Robertson ;  but 
as  long  as  they  did  not  call  him  colonel  or  captain 
or  judge,  after  the  fashion  of  the  country,  he  was 
satisfied. 

It  was  about  this  time  that  Hunt  became  officially 


NEW  ACQUAINTANCES.  303 

a  planter,  for  when  the  grand  jury  was  selected  for 
the  winter  term  of  the  county  court  he  was  named 
in  the  court  list  as  "  Huntley  Robertson,  planter." 

Although  he  had  almost  determined  that  in  justice 
to  Mary  he  ought  to  become  a  member  of  the  Craven 
Club,  this  drawing  on  the  grand  jury  fully  decided 
him,  for  he  knew  that  his  duty  as  a  grand  juror  would 
require  his  frequent  attendance  at  court  during,  at 
least,  a  week  or  two,  and,  as  Mary  would  sometimes 
accompany  him  to  the  city,  his  membership  in  the 
club  would  enable  him  to  make  her  acquainted  with 
more  young  people. 

He  accordingly  became  a  member  of  the  Craven 
Club,  and  in  a  short  time  he  was  introduced  to  Captain 
Henry  Maltby  and  his  sister. 

Captain  Maltby,  a  fellow-member  of  the  club,  was 
also  a  young  cotton  planter  of  good  habits,  his  plan- 
tation, which  he  had  inherited,  being  reckoned  among 
the  best  in  Eastern  North  Carolina ;  and  his  sister 
was  a  beautiful  and  vivacious  young  lady. 

After  several  meetings  at  the  club.  Captain 
Maltby  asked  permission  to  take  his  sister  over  to 
Pine  Ridge  Plantation  to  call  upon  Miss  Mary. 

Hunt  knew  that  Captain  Maltby's  saddle  horse 
was  one  of  the  finest  animals  in  Craven  County ; 
but,  much  to  the  surprise  of  Hunt  and  his  sister,  when 
the  captain  and  his  sister  called  they  drove  over  in 
their  shining  victoria,  which  was  the  wonder  of  New 
Bern  whenever  it  appeared  in  the  streets. 

After  that  first  call    Mary   and  Miss  Maltby  be- 


304  PINE  RIDOE  PLANTATION. 

came  intimate  friends,  and  the  surest  place  to  find 
either  the  victoria  or  the  captain's  saddle  horse  was 
in  front  of  the  hitching-post  at  Pine  Ridge  Plantation. 

One  of  the  first  results  of  this  intimacy  was  the 
purchase  by  Mary  of  a  side-saddle  for  Fannie,  after 
which  her  visits  to  her  New  Bern  friend  became 
equally  frequent. 

Mary  had  carefully  avoided  the  progressive  euchre 
parties  and  afternoon  teas  that  occupy  the  attention 
of  many  of  the  ladies  of  New  Bern,  and  this  was 
not  hard,  because  she  knew  so  few  of  them  ;  so  her 
association  with  a  young  lady  of  her  own  age  pleased 
Hunt  very  much. 

Calls  with  his  sister  were  not  entirely  to  the  cap- 
tain's liking,  and  after  a  short  time,  when  Miss 
Maltby  drove  over  in  the  victoria,  she  often  found 
the  captain's  saddle  horse  already  on  the  spot,  and 
the  captain,  too. 

Hunt  and  his  new  friend  naturally  had  much  to 
talk  about,  but  the  conversation  did  not  seem  to  lag 
when  Mary  and  the  captain  were  together. 

"  Is  Captain  Maltby  at  your  house  to-day  ?"  one 
of  Hunt's  New  Bern  friends  asked  him  when  he 
visited  the  city. 

"^Captain  Maltby'!"  Hunt  exclaimed;  "why 
should  he  be  at  my  place  to-day?" 

"  Well,  I  don't  know,  I'm  sure !"  the  friend 
quietly  laughed.  "  I  guess  you'll  have  to  ask  him 
about  that." 

This  was  one  of  a  thousand  little  hints  he  heard 


NEW  ACQUAINTANCES.  305 

that  told  Hunt  that  the  captain's  frequent  visits  to 
the  plantation  were  not  unnoticed  in  New  Bern. 

"  Everyone  speaks  well  of  Harry  Maltby/'  Mary 
said,  one  day,  with  something  very  much  like  the 
beginning  of  a  blush. 

^^^  Harry  Maltby'!''  Hunt  repeated.  ^^  I  don't 
know  whether  his  name  is  Harry,  but  I  do  know  that 
his  sister  Ethel  is  one  of  the  prettiest  young  ladies  I 
have  seen  since  I  began  to  look  at  young  ladies  at  all." 

"  Oh,  you  have  begun  to  look  at  young  ladies,  have 
you  ?"  Mary  laughed. 

"  It  is  as  natural  for  me  to  admire  young  ladies 
as  it  is  for  you  to  admire  young  men  and  captains, 
Mary,"  he  answered,  with  a  laugh. 

The  captain's  frequent  visits  continued,  and  his 
sister's,  too ;  and  Hunt  perhaps  would  have  continued 
to  attribute  them  to  the  girlish  friendship  between  the 
two  young  ladies  if  Mr.  Warren  had  not  helped  him 
one  day  to  open  his  eyes.  "  AVhat  are  you  going  to 
do  if  you  lose  your  sister,  Hunt  ?"  Mr.  Warren  asked 
him. 

That  gave  Hunt  a  start,  for  only  one  way  of 
possibly  losing  her  occurred  to  him  at  the  moment. 

"  Why,  Mary's  perfectly  well,  Mr.  Warren,"  he 
replied.  "I  think  that  she  has  been  looking  even 
better  than  usual  for  the  last  few  weeks." 

"  Is  that  so  ?"  Mr.  Warren  said,  smiling.  "  Well, 
I'm  glad  to  hear  it,  and  I  am  sure  I  hope  there  is  no 
trouble  with  her  heart,  for  girls  of  her  age  so  often 
have  some  little  heart  trouble,  you  know.     Captain 

20 


306  PINE  RIDGE  PLANTATION. 

Maltby  seems  to  fear  something  of  the  kind,  too/'  he 
added,  "  for  he  comes  over  very  often  to  see  that  she 
is  all  right." 

"  Oh,  I  am  afraid  that  I  must  be  stupid  !"  Hunt 
laughed.  "  I  did  not  see  at  all  what  you  meant ;  but 
I  see  now,"  he  continued,  "  and  since  you  have  asked 
me  a  question,  I  will  answer  it.  Captain  Maltby 
does  come  to  the  house  very  often,  that's  a  fact,  and 
perhaps  he  does  not  always  come  to  see  me.  It  is 
nothing  unusual  for  a  young  man  to  make  calls  upon 
a  young  lady,  and  since  Mary  has  become  a  young 
lady  such  things  are  to  be  expected,  I  suppose ;  but 
if  the  captain  has  any  idea  of  stealing  away  my  sister, 
which  is  doubtful,  why  then  I  must  remind  you  that 
he  has  a  beautiful  sister  of  his  own,  and  that  turn 
about  is  only  fair  play." 

"Then  you  are  aware  of  the  situation,"  Mr. 
Warren  said,  "  though  you  w^ould  not  have  us  know 
it ;  and  for  my  part  I  do  not  go  about  with  my  eyes 
entirely  shut.  I  should  not  like  to  think  of  your 
sister  going  off  and  leaving  us ;  but  if  it  has  been 
decreed  that  we  are  to  have  changes  at  Pine  Ridge,  I 
am  glad  the  captain  is  so  fine  and  wealthy  a  young 
man,  and  his  sister  so  beautiful  and  accomplished, 
that  I  can  safely  promise  to  give  my  blessing  to  all 
parties." 

"  But  I  don't  think  Mary  would  want  to  leave  her 
pig  park,"  Hunt  objected. 

" '  Pig  park ' !"  Mr.  Warren  almost  shouted .  "  Why, 
if  every  county  in  this  state  could  be  made  into  a 


NEW  ACQUAINTANCES.  307 

pig  park,  and  every  one  of  them  be  stocked  with  the 
choicest  breed  of  hogs,  the  whole  lot  together  would 
not  for  one  instant,  in  a  young  woman's  mind, 
counterbalance  a  handsome  yoimg  captain  riding  up 
on  his  charger." 

"  I  am  going  to  have  a  fine  lot  of  bacon  in  a  few 
weeks,"  Hunt  said  a  little  irrelevantly.  For  al- 
though Mary's  welfare  was  of  the  deepest  interest  to 
him,  love  affairs  in  general  were  not  nearly  as  im- 
portant in  his  mind  as  cotton  and  pork  crops. 

Neither  Hunt  nor  Mary  realized  for  a  time  what 
an  influence  Captain  Maltby's  place  began  to  exert 
upon  their  own  home ;  but  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Warren 
saw  it,  and  they  were  much  pleased  at  the  improve- 
ment. 

Several  times  the  brother  and  sister  were  invited  to 
the  Maltby  plantation  to  eat  dinner,  and  the  victoria 
was  sent  for  them.  This  reminded  Hunt  that  his 
sister  was  as  well  able  to  ride  in  her  own  carriage  as 
any  other  planter's  sister,  and  that  some  time  before 
he  had  bought  a  single  mule  for  the  express  purpose 
of  leaving  room  for  the  purchase  of  a  pair  of  horses. 
He  proposed,  therefore,  to  buy  the  horses  at  once,  and 
as  good  a  carriage  as  they  could  afford. 

"  I  am  not  going  to  have  a  carriage,"  Mary  said 
with  much  determination.  "  To  tell  the  truth  I  do 
not  care  to  be  bothered  with  one,  for  if  we  had  it  I 
should  have  to  depend  upon  you  or  Scotty  or  some 
colored  man  to  drive  for  me,  and  just  think  how  much 
more  pleasure  it  is  to  go  out  to  the  stable  and  throw 


308  PINE  RIDGE  PLANTATION. 

the  saddle  myself  over  Fannie's  back,  and  go  when 
and  where  I  please,  without  waiting  for  anyone.'' 

"  Do  you  know  how  much  pork  we  had  in  the 
smoke-houses  ?"  Hunt  asked. 

"Oh,  it  is  not  only  on  account  of  the  money," 
Mary  replied,  "  that  I  do  not  want  you  to  buy  horses 
and  a  carriage.  Yes,"  she  continued,  "  I  know  that  it 
weighed  nearly  three  tons  when  you  hung  it  up  to 
smoke,  for  you  killed  a  great  many  pigs.  Supposing 
it  to  lose  one-half  in  weight  in  the  drying  and  smok- 
ing, we  shall  still  have  three  thousand  pounds  of 
bacon  and  hams  to  sell,  worth  nearly  three  hundred 
dollars. 

"  Of  course,  that  is  only  a  beginning,"  she  went  on, 
"  and  we  can  much  more  than  double  it  in  future 
years  ;  but  you  know  you  said  the  pig  park  should  be 
my  department,  and  I  do  not  want  to  make  money 
just  for  the  fun  of  spending  it." 

This  was  a  low  estimate  of  the  value  of  the  bacon, 
for  what  it  produced  was  nearer  five  hundred  dollars. 
When  they  returned  from  the  Maltbys,  Mary  was 
well  pleased  that  she  had  said  "  no  "  to  the  carriage 
proposition. 

"  You  see,  a  carriage  would  be  only  a  small  part  of 
the  expense,  if  we  were  foolish  enough  to  try  to  imi- 
tate rich  people  like  the  Maltbys,"  she  told  Hunt. 
"  When  we  can  afford  to  buy  a  lot  of  silver  things  for 
the  table,  and  such  elegant  china  as  they  have,  and 
paintings  to  hang  on  the  walls,  and  carpets  and  rugs 
and  hundreds  of  other  things  that  we  do  not  need  it 


NEW  ACQUAINTANCES.  309 

will  be  time  enough  to  think  of  horses  and  a  carriage  ; 
but  even  then  I  hope  we  can  find  a  better  use  for  our 
money. 

^'  Indeed,  I  know  of  a  better  use  for  some  now," 
she  added,  "  if  you  feel  as  if  you  could  spare  some, 
Hunt.'' 

"  Why,  of  course,  we  can  spare  some,"  Hunt 
quickly  answered,  believing  that  his  sister  was  about 
to  propose  the  purchase  of  something  that  would  give 
her  pleasure. 

"  I  suppose  you  remember,"  Mary  resumed,  "  that 
poor  old  crippled  negro  sitting  shivering  in  a  wheeled 
chair  in  George  Street,  and  begging,  whose  tin  cup 
I  dropped  a  few  pennies  into  ?  I  asked  Ethel  Maltby 
about  the  poor  fellow,  and  she  says  he  was  a  slave 
until  1863,  when  he  was  thirty  years  old,  and  then  he 
became  so  crippled  with  rheumatism  that  for  nearly 
forty  years  he  has  not  been  able  to  walk  or  even  to 
raise  his  food  to  his  mouth,  but  lives  by  begging  a 
few  pennies  from  his  wheeled  chair. 

"  Just  think  what  a  hard  fate.  Hunt,  to  be  first  a 
slave  for  thirty  years,  and  then  a  helpless  cripple  for 
forty  years  !  If  I  can  have  a  little  of  the  pig  money 
in  advance,  I  want  to  buy  a  warm  overcoat  for  that 
poor  man." 

"  I  think  I  have  a  good  partner,  Mary  !"  Hunt  ex- 
claimed. And  when  he  drew  the  check  to  pay  for 
the  overcoat  he  made  it  sufficiently  large  to  fill  the 
cripple's  tin  cup  with  nickels,  also. 

There  were  soon  more  books  and  magazines  and 


310  PINE  RIDGE  PLANTATION. 

newspapers  in  the  Pine  Ridge  Plantation  house  than 
there  had  been  before ;  and  as  one  expense  generally 
leads  to  another,  the  need  of  a  better  light  to  read 
them  by  was  felt  until  Hunt  and  Mary  went  to  Mrs. 
Whitehurst's  store  in  New  Bern  and  bought  a  fine 
large  student  lamp,  which  thereafter  stood  upon  the 
extension  table. 

Mary  seemed  more  pleased  than  was  really  necessary, 
Hunt  thought,  when  Captain  Maltby,  on  spending  his 
next  evening  with  them  at  Pine  Ridge,  complimented 
her  taste  in  selecting  it. 


CHAPTER  XXX. 

A   FAMILIAR   FACE. 

Many  changes  for  the  better  were  made  in  the 
Pine  Ridge  Plantation  as  time  rolled  by ;  and  one 
morning  when  Hunt  was  sitting  in  the  corner  front 
room  of  his  house,  not  the  same  room  or  the  same  house 
in  which  we  last  saw  him,  but  a  new  house  entirely,  he 
heard  a  loud  "halloo  !"  from  the  direction  of  the  creek, 
immediately  followed  by  the  violent  barking  of  the 
dogs  and  a  ringing  of  the  front  door  bell. 

It  was  not  Hunt  himself  who  answered  the  bell 
now,  but  a  neatly  dressed  colored  maid,  for  the  house- 
hold arrangements  had  improved  with  the  plantation. 
A  minute  later  he  heard  a  voice  that  had  a  familiar 
sound  saying  to  the  maid  : 

"  I  am  looking  for  my  young  friend,  Hunt  Rob- 
ertson ;  he  used  to  have  a  cabin  somewhere  around 
here." 

Hunt  was  so  sure  that  he  had  heard  that  voice 
before  that  he  sprang  up  and  hurried  to  the  door. 

"  Why,  Mr.  Chatfield  !"  he  exclaimed  to  the  gray- 
haired  and  gray-bearded  gentleman  who  stood  on  the 
piazza.     "  How  glad  I  am  to  see  you  again  !" 

"  Hunt  Robertson,  as  sure  as  the  world,"  Mr.  Chat- 

311 


312  PINE  RIDGE  PLANTATION. 

field  replied.  "  As  your  little  house  was  gone,  I  was 
afraid  you  would  be  gone,  too ;  but  give  me  your 
hand,  Hunt,  to  make  sure  this  is  not  a  North  Caro- 
lina dream  I  am  having. 

"  This  is  a  growing  state  sure  enough,"  the  visitor 
went  on,  taking  Hunt's  outstretched  hand ;  "  here 
you  have  grown  from  a  boy  into  a  young  man,  and 
your  cabin  has  grown  into  a  big  two-story  house.  Do 
tell  me  what  it  all  means.  Hunt,  after  you  call  off 
these  dogs." 

^'  Down,  Rover  !  Down,  Buster  !"  Hunt  called  to 
the  dogs.  "  The  six  years  that  have  passed  since  I 
bought  the  Maria  Louise  from  you  have  made  some 
changes  in  Buster  as  well  as  in  his  master ;  but  come 
in,  Mr.  Chatfield,  and  sit  down.  I  am  delighted  to 
see  you  again." 

^'  Well,  I  want  to  know  about  this  thing,  Huntley," 
Mr.  Chatfield  said,  as  he  stepped  into  the  hall.  *^  I 
left  you  six  years  ago  in  a  cabin,  and  here  I  find  you 
in  a  mansion  ;  so  it  is  your  turn  to  explain  matters. 
There  is  no  mystery  about  my  appearance,"  he  went 
on,  "  for  I  have  brought  my  wife  down  to  spend 
another  winter  in  New  Bern,  and  catch  some  more 
Welshmen,  that  is  all." 

"  But  come  and  sit  down,  Mr.  Chatfield,"  Hunt 
said,  leading  the  way  into  the  parlor,  where  the  visitor 
made  pretense  of  being  afraid  to  sit  down  in  the  up- 
holstered chairs. 

"  Well,  this  is  more  than  I  bargained  for !"  he  de- 
clared, seating  himself  at  length  at  one  of  the  front 


A  FAMILIAR  FACE.  313 

windows.  "  But  do  tell  me  whether  this  is  your 
house,  Hunt ;  and  if  it  is,  how  you  got  it." 

"  It  is  mine  and  my  sister's,'^  Hunt  replied,  "  and 
it  grew  out  of  the  ground  in  tlie  form  of  cotton  plants. 
AYe  have  two  hundred  and  twelve  acres  of  land  now, 
and  Mary  and  I  finished  the  house  last  summer.  My 
sister  Mary  has  been  with  me  almost  since  I  started 
here,  you  know,  and  it  was  largely  on  her  account 
that  we  built  the  new  house." 

"  Then  there  must  be  some  truth  in  what  I  hear 
about  you  over  in  New  Bern,"  Mr.  Chatfield  said. 
"  They  tell  me  you  have  made  twenty  thousand 
dollars  here  in  six  years.  Hunt,  and  your  place  looks 
as  if  it  might  be  true,  as  I  hope  it  is." 

"  It  would  be  hard  for  me  to  say,"  Hunt  laughed, 
"how  much  of  that  is  true,  for  it  would  depend 
largely  upon  what  the  house  and  plantation  and  live 
stock  are  worth.  Of  course,  I  know  how  much  we 
have  in  bank,  and  in  a  few  bonds  that  we  have 
bought ;  but  I  should  not  want  to  make  a  closer  esti- 
mate than  to  say  that  we  have  done  very  well  here, 
and  have  always  lived  comfortably." 

"  Didn't  I  tell  you  you  were  going  to  be  a  success- 
ful cotton  planter?"  Mr.  Chatfield  asked.  "You 
know  it  is  always  a  satisfaction  to  be  able  to  say  '  I 
told  you  so,'  but  that  is  just  what  I  told  you ;  now  let 
us  get  down  to  the  facts,"  he  continued,  taking  from 
his  pocket  a  bunch  of  small  paper  slips  confined  with 
a  rubber  band ;  "  for,  of  course,  I  am  interested  in 
you." 


314  PINE  RIDGE  PLANTATION. 

"You  came  here  six  years  ago/'  he  went  on^ 
making  a  memorandum  on  one  of  the  slips,  "  without 
any  capital  to  speak  of,  and  now  you  have  two 
hundred  and  twelve  acres  of  land  and  a  big  house, 
and  you  are  one  of  the  crack  cotton  planters  of  Craven 
County.  What  is  that  small  building  on  the  bluff, 
just  above  you  ?''  he  asked. 

"  That  is  a  gin  house,"  Hunt  answered.  "  It  stands 
on  the  land  of  my  old  friend,  Scotty  Watson,  who 
came  down  to  work  for  me  and  now  has  his  own  plan- 
tation there ;  but  the  gin  house  belongs  to  him  and 
to  myself  and  to  Mr.  Warren,  our  next  neighbor,  in 
common,  for  we  found  it  cheaper  to  gin  our  own 
cotton." 

" Scotty  Watson  and  Mr.  Warren?"  Mr.  Chatfield 
asked.  "  I  think  I  have  heard  you  mention  both 
those  names.  Was  not  Mr.  Warren  the  farmer  you 
used  to  work  for?" 

"  Yes,  sir ;  he  came  down  here  and  bought  a  plan- 
tation, and  is  making  money,"  Hunt  answered. 
"  This  house  is  very  much  like  the  one  he  built,  and 
they  both  front  on  the  creek." 

"And  Scotty  Watson?"  Mr.  Chatfield  asked. 
"  Wasn't  he  another  working  boy  without  any 
money  ?" 

"  Yes ;  he  came  down  here  to  work  for  me,"  Hunt 
replied,  "  and  he  saved  his  money  and  bought  a  little 
place,  and  now  he  has  a  profitable  cotton  plantation 
of  about  one  hundred  acres  between  this  place  and 
Mr.  Warren's,  so  now  we  are  three  in  a  row,  all  along 


A  FAMILIAR  FACE.  315 

the  creek,  and  all  comfortable  and  happy.  He  almost 
lost  his  health  in  the  North,  but  here  it  has  been  fully 
restored/' 

"\Yell,  I  declare,  Hunt !"  Mr.  Chatfield  exclaimed  ; 
"  you  came  here  poor  and  now  you  have  a  good  plan- 
tation, and  your  friend  Scotty  did  the  same  thing. 
Now,  I  tell  you  what  I'm  going  to  do.  I  know  some 
young  fellows  working  for  farmers  in  Connecticut, 
poor  as  church  mice  and  getting  a  little  poorer  every 
year.  When  I  go  home  I'm  going  to  advise  those 
boys  to  take  a  fast  train  for  North  Carolina,  and  go 
to  growing  cotton." 

"  I  don't  think  you  could  give  them  better  advice, 
sir,"  Hunt  retorted.  "  I  know  from  experience  that 
it  is  a  good  thing  for  a  young  man  to  do.  Now 
come  over  to  the  dining-room,"  he  went  on,  "and 
have  a  bit  of  lunch  before  I  take  you  out  to  see 
the  plantation." 

"No,  I'm  not  going  to  put  your  sister  to  that 
trouble,"  Mr.  Chatfield  laughed,  "nor  let  you  take 
the  time  to  make  a  pan  of  spoon  bread." 

"Oh,  we  don't  do  the  cooking  now,"  Hunt  an- 
swered, leading  the  way  toward  the  door ;  "  we  have 
a  colored  woman  who  is  a  very  fair  cook,  for  I  had 
to  put  a  stop  to  Mary's  working  so  hard." 

Mary  herself  here  appeared,  and  seconded  Hunt's 
invitation ;  and  when  they  had  all  eaten  a  bite  in  the 
dining-room,  the  two  took  Mr.  Chatfield  out  to  see 
the  plantation. 

The  visitor  was  pleased  to  see  the  Maria  Louise 


316  PINE  RIDGE  PLANTATION. 

still  floating  at  the  foot  of  the  bluff,  neat  and  trim, 
with  even  her  cotton-stuffed  cushions  still  in  good 
order ;  but  in  a  minute  he  discovered  a  brick  stair- 
wsij  leading  down  the  bluff  to  a  summer-house,  just 
like  Mr.  Warren's,  and  nothing  would  do  but  that 
they  must  all  go  down  to  look  at  the  summer-house 
and  the  boat. 

"  Same  old  boat !''  Mr.  Chatfield  exclaimed.  "  Same 
old  chair  in  her ;  same  old  cushions.  But  I  shall  not 
blame  my  wife  if  she  hardly  believes  me  when  I  tell 
her  about  all  these  things  you  have  done,  Hunt.  I 
was  going  to  have  another  rest  on  the  Hyde  County 
bed,  but  this  place  doesn't  look  like  Hyde  County 
beds.     Now  let  us  go  and  have  a  look  at  the  stock.'' 

They  took  him  to  the  large,  new  barn,  and  showed 
him  first  the  pair  of  horses,  fit  either  for  farm  work 
or  carriage  use ;  then  a  pair  of  mules,  Dick  the  single 
mule.  Bob  the  ox,  and  another  ox,  and  then  took  him 
to  Fannie^s  little  stable  to  see  Fannie,  sleek  as 
a  kitten,  with  her  side-saddle  on,  and  a  handsome 
saddle  blanket ;  and  last  of  all  to  the  pig  park,  which 
now  fully  deserved  its  name. 

''  That's  the  way  to  do  it.  Hunt !"  Mr.  Chatfield 
exclaimed.  ^'  Cotton  crops  sometimes  fail ;  but  cotton 
crops  and  hog  crops  never  both  fail  in  the  same  year. 
How  many  have  you  here?" 

"Something  over  four  hundred,"  Hunt  answered, 
"  and  we  have  forgotten  to  show  you  the  new  smoke- 
house. We  have  three  now.  for  we  sell  a  great  deal 
of  bacon." 


A  FAMILIAR  FACE.  317 

"Let  us  go  back  to  your  broad  front  piazza,"  Mr. 
Chatfield  said,  after  a  while.  "I  want  to  give  my 
head  a  chance  to  settle  itself  a  little,  for  all  this  has 
put  it  in  a  sort  of  a  whirl/' 

Sitting  in  one  of  the  comfortable  rocking-chairs  on 
the  piazza,  he  took  out  one  of  the  little  slips  of  paper 
and  looked  over  the  memoranda  he  had  made.  "  Xow, 
do  not  think,''  he  said,  "that  I  am  asking  you  all 
about  your  affairs  merely  out  of  curiosity.  I  meant 
what  I  said  when  I  told  you  that  I  should  advise 
more  of  our  Northern  boys  to  follow  your  example 
and  come  down  here ;  and  so  that  I  can  explain  to 
them  just  about  what  your  circumstances  are,  after 
six  years  in  North  Carolina,  I  want  you  to  tell  me 
what  mortgages  you  have  on  your  place." 

"  Mortgages  !"  Hunt  exclaimed.  "  Why,  Mr.  Chat- 
field,  I  never  gave  a  mortgage  on  anything  in  my  life. 
What  you  see  around  us  here  is  our  own,  for  there  is 
no  mortgage  upon  anything.  We  saved  at  least  a 
thousand  dollars  in  building  this  house  by  being  in  no 
hurry  about  it,  but  waiting  till  we  could  pay  cash  for 
everything.  I  know,"  he  continued,  "that  some 
cotton  planters  not  only  mortgage  the  crop  while  it  is 
growing,  but  even  mortgage  the  next  year's  crop 
before  it  is  planted.  I  have  never  done  that  kind  of 
business,  and  I  should  rather  go  back  to  working  on 
somebody  else's  farm  than  begin  it,  for  it  is  ruinous." 
"  You  have  given  me  a  good  idea  of  your  situation, 
Hunt,"  Mr.  Chatfield  said,  "  and  I  am  obliged  to  you, 
for  this  is  a  matter  that  I  am  very  much  interested  in. 


318  PINE  RIDGE  PLANTATION. 

You  know  how  many  young  men  are  working  in  the 
crowded  shops  and  factories  in  the  North  for  small 
pay  and  with  no  future  to  look  forward  to.  I  wish  I 
could  tell  them  all  what  they  could  do  for  themselves 
here  in  North  Carolina." 

"So  do  I,"  Hunt  answered.  "Most  of  them  have 
nothing  to  lose  and  everything  to  gain,  and  here  with 
ordinary  industry  they  could  soon  establish  them- 
selves comfortably." 

Mr.  Chatfield  sat  looking  thoughtfully  toward  New 
Bern  for  some  minutes,  and  then  said  : 

"You  and  your  sister  must  have  worked  together 
here  in  perfect  harmony ;  but  your  sister  is  a  young 
lady  now,  and  you  are  a  young  man,  and  you  cannot 
expect  to  go  on  forever  without  some  change  in  your 
household  affairs;  have  you  thought  of  that?" 

"Yes  sir;  I  try  to  look  forward  to  the  future  as 
well  as  I  can,"  Hunt  replied,  "and  I  have  foreseen 
some  changes,  but  I  am  glad  to  tell  you,  Mr.  Chat- 
field,  that  the  change  that  seems  most  likely  is  satis- 
factory both  to  my  sister  and  to  myself  It  is  no 
secret,"  he  went  on,  "that  Mary  has  promised  to 
become  at  some  time  in  the  future  the  wife  of  Captain 
Henry  Maltby,  who  is  another  cotton  planter,  and 
Captain  Maltby's  sister,  Ethel,  has  been  good  enough 
to  make  the  same  promise  to  me ;  but  it  is  well  under- 
stood among  the  four  of  us  that  when  there  is  one 
wedding  there  shall  be  two.  So  even  if  Mary  marries, 
there  is  no  danger  of  Pine  Ridge  Plantation  being 
left  without  a  mistress." 


A  FAMILIAR  FACE.  319 

"That  is  a  very  neat  arrangement/'  Mr.  Chatfield 
declared ;"  and  you  are  a  lucky  man  to  have  been 
able  to  make  it.'' 

"Now  I  must  be  starting  back  for  New  Bern,  or 
they  will  think  I  am  lost.  No/'  he  continued,  "  I 
will  not  let  you  sail  me  over  in  the  Maria  Louise  this 
time,  for  I  want  to  have  another  look  at  James  City. 
Besides,  I  want  to  take  a  sail  to-morrow  if  I  can 
hire  a  sharpie  somewhere,  and  perhaps  invite  some  of 
my  New  Bern  friends  to  go  fishing  with  me,  for  I 
still  have  a  hankering  after  Welshmen." 

"Then  I  think  there  will  be  no  difficulty  about 
your  getting  a  sharpie,  Mr.  Chatfield,"  Hunt  said, 
stepping  tow^ard  the  piazza  rail  and  looking  out  over 
the  creek.  "  Do  you  see  that  sharpie  lying  at  anchor 
just  below  us?"  he  asked.  "  She  carries  about  three 
hundred  tons.  This  one  is  mine,  and  Mr.  Warren 
has  one  just  like  her.  We  bought  them  to  carry  our 
crops  over  to  New  Bern,  and  we  find  them  very 
useful ;  but  when  there  are  no  crops  to  carry  they  are 
useful  for  pleasure  trips,  too,  sometimes,  and  if  you 
will  accept  the  use  of  mine  to-morrow  I  shall  be  glad 
to  send  her  over  for  you." 

Mr.  Chatfield  willingly  accepted  the  offer  of  the 
sharpie,  but  he  could  not  be  induced  to  remain 
longer. 

"  You  will  soon  see  enough  of  me  !"  he  called  back, 
as  he  went  dow^n  the  shell-paved  walk,  "  for  I  expect 
to  be  in  New  Bern  all  winter,  and  I  shall  be  over  to 
see   you   often.     So  good-bye  till  I  see  you  again, 


320  PINE  RIDGE  PLANTATION. 

Hunt,  and  take  good  care  of  the  Maria  Louise.  I 
know  you  deserve  all  you  have,  but  I  will  tell  you 
fairly  that  I  did  not  expect  to  come  back  to  New 
Bern  and  find  you  with  so  much.  It  is  not  luck  that 
has  done  this  for  you,  but  hard  work  and  good 
management ;  and  I  should  like  to  see  a  thousand 
other  Northern  boys  doing  the  same  thing." 

"  So  should  I !''  Hunt  called  after  him,  as  Mr. 
Chatfield  went  down  the  brick  steps  and  disappeared. 

"  Wait  a  minute,  please  !''  Hunt  shouted,  as  Mr. 
Chatfield  turned  to  wave  his  hand;  "wait  just  a 
minute,  and  I  will  overtake  you  with  our  new  run- 
about, and  carry  you  over  to  New  Bern,  where  I  hope 
you  will  give  my  best  regards  to  Mr.  Burrus,  for  he 
was  my  earliest  friend  in  Craven  County." 


The  End. 


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